Florence 


THE   DELAFIELD   AFFAIR 


OV  CAtJF.  UMIAK.  I.OS 


MR 


I    $*• 


"HE   SMILED   DOWN    AT    HER    GLOWING    YOUNG    FACE,    AND    HIS    EYES 

SHONE    WITH    ADMIRATION  "  [Page  26] 


THE 

DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

BY 

FLORENCE  FINCH   KELLY 

Author  of"  With  Hoops  of  Steel"  etc. 


WITH    FOUR   ILLUSTRATIONS   IN    COLOR 
BY    MAYNARD    DIXON 


CHICAGO 
A.  C.  McCLURG   &   CO. 

1909 


COPYRIGHT 

A.  C.  MCCLURG  &  Co. 
1909 


Published  March  6,  1909 


THE  UNIVERSITY   PRESS,    CAMBRIDGE,    U.S.A. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  VENGEANCE  AVOWED 9 

II.  THE  EVIL  THAT  MEN  DO 32 

III.  MISTAKE,  OR  BLUNDER? 39 

IV.  THE  POWERS  CONFER 52 

V.  CHASTISEMENT  CONDIGN 64 

VI.  A  STERN  CHASE 78 

VII.  TALK  OF  MANY  THINGS 90 

VIII.  SPECTRES  OF  THE  PAST 114 

IX.  PERILS  IN  THE  NIGHT    .......  136 

X.  BY  A  HAIR'S  BREADTH 145 

XI.  BATTLING  THE  ELEMENTS 160 

XII.  THE  FIRST  SHOT 177 

XIII.  THE  SECOND  SHOT 192 

XIV.  THREE  LETTERS 210 

XV.  VILLAINY  UNMASKED 221 

XVI.  A  DOUBLE  BLUFF 238 

XVII.  SENTENCE  OF  DEATH 256 

XVIII.  PLOTS  AND  COUNTERPLOTS 278 

XIX.  THE  WORD  UNSPOKEN 299 


2130785 


vi  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XX.  NARROWING  THE  QUEST 321 

XXI.  THE  SILENT  DUEL 345 

XXII.  REFLECTION  AND  REACTION 360 

XXIII.  LOVE  TO  THE  RESCUE 380 

XXIV.  THE  HEAVENS  OPEN 397 

XXV.  FULFILMENT  OF  THE  LAW 414 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 
"  He  smiled  down  at  her  glowing  young  face,  and  his 

eyes  shone  with  admiration  " Frontispiece 

"  Upon  man  and  beast  the  sand-storm  beat  bitterly"       .     168 

"  Like  a  flash  Josh's  arm  swung  back,  .  .  .  and  Curtis 
sprang  lightly  aside  as  the  knife  struck  deep  into 
the  tree" 308 

"  It  had  come,  the  question  she  had  meant  not  to  let 

him  ask" 404 


THE 

DELAFIELD    AFFAIR 

CHAPTER   I 

VENGEANCE   AVOWED 

CURTIS  CONRAD  turned  from  super- 
intending repairs  on  the  adobe  wall, 
and  walked  across  the  corral  to  the 
gate  at  the  opposite  side.  As  he  filled  his  pipe 
he  looked  across  the  wide,  greenish-gray  New 
Mexican  plateau  stretching  far  to  east  and 
south  and  west.  It  was  dotted  here  and  there 
with  little  groups  of  grazing  cattle,  and  he 
noted  a  straggling  procession  of  the  creatures, 
their  figures  wavering  and  distorted  in  the 
heat  haze,  coming  down  from  the  distant  foot- 
hills. They  were  following  a  trail  that  cut 
across  the  plain  in  a  straight  line  to  the 
pond  across  the  road  from  the  house,  beyond 
a  grove  of  cottonwood  trees. 

"Poor  devils!"  he  thought.  "They're 
tramping  miles  for  a  drink  of  water,  and  to- 
morrow they  '11  tramp  back  again  for  their 
breakfast.  The  Castletons  are  going  to  lose 
big  money  in  dead  cattle  this  Summer,  unless 


io          THE  DELAFIELD   AFFAIR 

there  's  more  rain  than  there  was  last.  It 's 
awful  to  see  the  poor  brutes  dropping  in  their 
tracks.  I  '11  begin  looking  for  a  job  in  a  wetter 
country  if  this  Summer  does  n't  bring  more 
rain."  He  turned  his  attention  to  his  pipe, 
sheltering  bowl  and  match  in  his  hollowed 
hand.  "  No  use,  in  this  wind,"  he  muttered. 
"What  a  blast  it's  blowing  to-day!  Well, 
there 's  no  sand  in  it." 

The  plain  stretched  away  from  the  ranch- 
house  in  low,  rolling  hills,  so  evenly  sized  that 
it  gave  the  impression  of  a  level  surface.  Up 
from  one  of  the  little  valleys  rose  a  horseman, 
as  if  he  had  sprung  suddenly  from  the  depths 
of  the  earth.  Through  the  heat  that  wavered 
over  the  plain  his  horse's  legs  drew  out  into 
long,  knobby  sticks,  and  both  man  and  steed 
became  an  absurd  caricature  of  the  sinewy 
pony  and  cowboy  rider  that  presently  cantered 
up  to  the  gate  with  the  mail  for  which  Conrad 
had  been  waiting. 

'  Three  cow-brutes  are  down  on  the  pond 
trail,  just  where  it  crosses  the  road.  One  of 
'em 's  got  a  calf." 

"Are  they  dead?" 

"  Mighty  nigh  —  will  be  by  night." 
'  You  and  Red  Jack  go  and  skin  them  in 
the  morning."     Conrad  turned  toward  the 


VENGEANCE  AVOWED  11 

house,  looking  at  his  letters.  His  mind  still 
lingered  over  the  calf.  "  Poor  little  devil, 
it  ought  to  have  a  chance,"  he  was  thinking, 
when  his  eye  caught  the  name  on  one  of  the 
envelopes.  He  turned  upon  the  cowboy  a 
gaze  suddenly  grown  preoccupied. 

"  No,  Peters/'  he  said;  "  the  calf  won't  go 
with  the  other  cattle  while  its  mother  is  alive, 
and  I  saw  that  gray  wolf  skulking  along  the 
draw  this  afternoon.  You  and  Red  Jack  'd 
better  go  down  now  and  put  the  cows  out  of 
their  misery.  Skin  them  and  bring  the  calf 
into  the  corral  till  night,  and  then  put  it  down 
by  the  pond  with  the  other  cow-brutes." 

His  eyes  quickly  returned  to  the  letter  that 
had  attracted  his  attention.  "  Tremper  & 
Townsend !  "  he  exclaimed  with  eager  sur- 
prise. "Why,  they  were  Delafield's  attor- 
neys!" He  tore  open  the  envelope  with  an 
impatient  jerk  and  the  rushing  wind  almost 
blew  from  his  fingers  the  check  it  contained. 
As  his  eye  ran  quickly  down  the  half-dozen 
lines  of  the  letter  his  face  lighted  with  satis- 
faction and  amusement. 

The  sound  of  a  carriage  distracted  his  at- 
tention. It  turned  in  at  his  house-gate  and  he 
hastened  forward,  a  lean,  long-legged  figure 
of  a  man,  hat  doffed  and  hand  outstretched. 


12          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

"  How  are  you,  Bancroft  ?  Glad  to  see 
you!  And  Miss  Bancroft,  too!  Of  course 
you  're  coming  in.  Thirsty  ?  I  '11  bet  you 
are !  And  you  know  we  've  got  the  best  water 
in  Silverside  County  here.  How  much  better 
your  daughter  's  looking,  Aleck !  If  you  keep 
on  like  this,  Miss  Bancroft,  you  '11  soon  for- 
get you  were  ever  ill." 

"  Oh,  I  've  forgotten  that  already,  there  's 
such  magic  in  the  winds  you  have  here,"  the 
•girl  replied  laughingly  as  he  lifted  her  to  the 
ground.  "  They  're  strong  enough  to  blow 
the  past  out  of  your  memory  and  make  you 
forget  even  your  own  name !  "  Her  father 
suddenly  turned  away  and  began  to  hitch  the 
horses.  He  sent  back  a  covert  glance  at  her 
as  she  stood  at  Conrad's  side,  a  slender  figure, 
her  face  still  thin  from  recent  illness  but 
aglow  with  the  pink  of  returning  health,  the 
breeze  fluttering  the  short  brown  curls  that 
clustered  over  her  bare  head. 

"Oh,  my  hat,  please ! "  she  exclaimed,  with 
sudden  remembrance  of  the  head-covering  she 
had  left  hanging  in  the  carriage  top.  Curtis 
took  it  down  for  her  and  looked  on  with 
undisguised  admiration  while  she  tied  it  with 
a  big  bow  of  ribbon  under  her  chin.  Ban- 
croft came  back,  explaining  that  they  had 


VENGEANCE  AVOWED  13 

driven  since  mid- forenoon  from  the  base  of 
Mangan's  Peak,  and  asking  if  Conrad  did 
not  think  they  had  made  pretty  good  time 
with  their  new  team  of  horses.  Curtis  looked 
them  over  critically,  praising  their  good 
points,  and  approving  heartily  when  Bancroft 
told  him  they  had  been  bought  for  both  rid- 
ing and  driving,  for  he  wanted  Lucy,  now 
that  she  was  growing  strong  again,  to  be- 
come an  expert  horsewoman. 

A  big  cottonwood  tree  grew  beside  the  gate, 
and  a  little  plot  of  grass,  enclosed  on  three 
sides  by  whitewashed  adobe  walls,  made  a 
square  of  welcome  green.  Lucy  Bancroft  ex- 
claimed with  delight  as  they  entered  the  tiny 
yard,  stepping  mincingly  across  the  grass  with 
lifted  gown,  and  smiling  back  at  the  two  men, 
while  fleeting  dimples  played  hide-and-seek 
in  her  cheeks. 

"  I  'm  so  glad,  Mr.  Conrad,"  she  laughed, 
"  that  you  have  n't  any  signs  up  to  '  keep  off 
the  grass/  for  I  simply  must  walk  on  it.  I 
never  saw  anything  so  lovely  as  this  little 
lawn  and  this  beautiful  big  green  tree,  after 
our  long  ride  across  the  plain.  It  makes  me 
think  of  that  line  in  the  Bible  about  '  the 
shadow  of  a  great  rock  in  a  weary  land.' ' 

"  Yes,"  replied  Curtis  as  he  threw  open  the 


i4        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

door.  "  I  never  knew  until  I  came  to  New 
Mexico  how  much  comfort  and  pleasure  there 
can  be  in  a  few  blades  of  grass.  When  I 
come  in  from  a  long  ride  and  look  at  this 
little  checker-board  square  of  turf  I  feel  as 
if  I  uncurled  a  whole  yard  of  wrinkles  and 
squints  from  around  my  eyes." 

The  Socorro  Springs  ranch-house  was  a 
rambling  sequence  of  adobe  rooms,  so  joined 
one  to  another  that  they  formed  the  eastern 
and  part  of  the  northern  side  of  the  big 
square  corral.  It  was  low  and  flat-roofed, 
and  struggling  tufts  of  weeds  and  grass  grew 
along  the  top  and  trailed  over  the  edge,  add- 
ing their  chapter  to  Nature's  endless  tale  of  the 
unwearied  determination  of  Life  to  evade  and 
overcome  Death.  The  rooms  opened  out  of 
one  another  in  a  long  row,  all  with  outside 
doors  looking  toward  the  east  and  some  with 
additional  doors  into  the  corral.  A  bare  adobe 
yard  sloping  eastward  was  bordered  by  a 
trickling  stream  of  water  along  which  grew 
some  willows  and  cottonwoods.  Beyond  it 
spread  a  golden-green  field  of  young  alfalfa, 
and  beyond  that  the  greenish-gray  plain 
stretched  to  the  far  horizon.  Across  the  front 
of  the  house  was  a  narrow  wooden  porch, 
and  house  and  porch,  walls  and  sheds,  were 


VENGEANCE  AVOWED  15 

all  a  dazzling  white  that  in  the  vivid  sun- 
shine smote  the  sight  like  a  blow  across  the 
eyeballs.  In  the  low,  large  room  in  front 
gayly  colored  Navajo  rugs  were  spread  on 
the  floor,  white  muslin  curtains  hung  at  the 
windows,  and  rose-bedecked  paper  covered 
the  walls  and  ceiling.  Unpainted  shelves  of 
pine  above  a  battered,  flat-topped  desk  were 
filled  with  books,  and  the  round  table  in  the 
middle  of  the  room  was  littered  with  news- 
papers, magazines,  tobacco  pouches,  and 
pipes. 

The  housekeeper,  Mrs.  Peters,  brought  a 
pitcher  of  water,  and  Conrad  explained  to 
Lucy  that  the  springs  from  which  the  ranch 
took  its  appellation,  Los  Ojos  del  Socorro, 
'  The  Springs  of  Succor,"  had  been  so  named 
nearly  three  hundred  years  before  by  a  party 
of  Spanish  explorers,  because  they  had  come 
unexpectedly  upon  the  pure  waters  when  they 
were  almost  dead  from  thirst.  At  the  house- 
keeper's suggestion  Lucy  went  into  the  next 
room  to  lie  down  for  a  half-hour's  rest  be- 
fore they  should  start  for  their  home  in 
Golden,  twenty  miles  farther  westward.  The 
door,  accidentally  left  ajar,  swung  part  way 
open  and  she  could  hear  plainly  the  voices  of 
her  father  and  Conrad  as  she  lay  with  eyes 


16          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

closed  and  thoughts  wandering,  scarcely  heed- 
ing what  they  said. 

The  two  men  were  absorbed  in  a  discussion 
of  local  politics.  "  Dan  Tillinghurst  is  all 
right,"  said  Conrad.  "  He  's  made  a  good 
sheriff  and  he  ought  to  have  the  office  again. 
I  shall  do  all  I  can  to  have  him  renominated 
and  to  help  elect  him  afterwards.  But  Dell- 
mey  Baxter  for  Congress  again !  That 's 
where  I  buck,  and  buck  hard,  and  keep 
a-buckin'." 

"  But  he 's  the  head  of  the  party  in  the 
Territory,"  objected  Bancroft.  "He  can  bring 
out  more  votes  than  any  other  man  we  can 
put  up.  If  we  turn  him  down  in  the  con- 
vention they  '11  beat  us  at  the  polls." 

:e  We  '11  deserve  to  be  beaten  if  we  nomi- 
nate him,  anyway.  I  can't  stomach  him  any 
longer,  Aleck,  and  I  don't  see  how  you 
can." 

"  Oh,  you  're  prejudiced,  Curt,"  said  the 
other,  good-naturedly.  "  You  know  you  can 
never  see  any  good  in  a  man  you  dislike, 
and  you  took  a  dislike  to  Baxter  the  first  day 
you  set  foot  in  the  Territory." 

"Maybe  I  am  prejudiced;  but  in  Dell 
Baxter's  case  there 's  ample  reason  to  be,  and 
I  'd  be  ashamed  of  myself  if  I  was  n't.  I 


VENGEANCE  AVOWED  17 

know  he  's  a  friend  of  yours,  but  that  does  n't 
prevent  him  from  being  the  worst  scoun- 
drel in  the  whole  Territory.  I  tell  you, 
Aleck,  there 's  nothing  that  man  would  n't 
do,  unless  it  was  something  square  and 
honest." 

"  Come,  come,  Curt,  that 's  rank  exaggera- 
tion. I  've  been  associated  with  Dell  Baxter 
financially  ever  since  I  located  in  this  part 
of  the  country,  and  I  Ve  always  found  him 
strictly  on  the  square." 

'  Then  it  was  because  it  was  to  his  interest 
to  be  square.  He  '11  do  you  up  yet,  if  he  gets 
the  chance  and  thinks  it  worth  while.  He 's 
had  his  finger  in  every  crooked  scheme  that 's 
been  put  through  from  Raton  to  El  Paso,  and 
his  hands  are  as  bloody  as  his  pockets  are 
dirty." 

"  Don't  you  think  it 's  going  a  little  too 
far,"  asked  %  Bancroft,  smiling  calmly,  "to 
accuse  a  man  in  that  wholesale  way  when 
you  have  n't  any  basis  for  your  assertions  but 
the  merest  idle  gossip  ?  " 

Conrad  gave  an  indignant  snort.  "  Oh, 
I  'm  not  saying  he  's  done  the  jobs  himself. 
He  thinks  too  much  of  that  fat  paunch  of 
his  to  put  that  into  any  danger.  But  why 
does  he  keep  those  Mexican  thugs  hanging 


i8          THE   DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

around  him  if  it  is  n't  to  use  them  for 
things  he  wouldn't  dare  do  himself?  Why, 
I  heard  from  Santa  Fe  only  last  week  that 
he 's  taken  into  his  pay  that  Mexican  cut- 
throat, Liberate  Herrara,  whom  he  saved 
last  Winter  from  conviction  for  the  Paxton 
murder." 

"  No,  Aleck,"  he  went  on.  "  I  buck  when 
it  comes  to  Dell  Baxter  for  Congress  again. 
If  he  gets  the  nomination  and  the  other  side 
puts  up  Johnny  Martinez,  as  it 's  likely  they 
will,  I  'm  going  to  support  Johnny." 

"  But  he  's  a  Mexican." 

"  I  don't  care  what  he  is  as  long  as  he 's 
a  decent  man.  He  won't  be  a  disgrace  to 
the  Territory  in  Washington,  and  that 's  more 
than  you  can  say  of  Baxter." 

Bancroft's  impassive  face  lighted  with  a 
bantering  smile.  '  There  's  no  limit  to  your 
bad  opinion  of  a  man,  is  there,  Curt,  if  he 
once  gets  into  your  disfavor?  By  the  way, 
is  it  true  that  the  Castletons  are  behind  Johnny 
Martinez  ? " 

"  I  don't  know,  and  I  don't  care.  I  'm  their 
hired  man  here  on  the  ranch,  but  my  vote 's 
my  own,  and  so  's  what  little  influence  I  may 
have,  and  I  '11  do  with  both  of  'em  just 
what  I  damn  please.  And  if  it  came  to  a 


VENGEANCE  AVOWED  19 

show-down,  I  'd  be  perfectly  willing  to  lose 
my  job  if  that  would  keep  Dell  Baxter  from 
going  back  to  Congress." 

Bancroft  laughed  again.  Conrad's  eye,  as 
he  turned  to  his  desk  for  more  cigars,  fell 
upon  the  little  pile  of  letters  and  papers  he 
had  just  received.  On  the  top  lay  the 
Tremper  &  Townsend  envelope.  "  By  the 
way,  Aleck,  you  're  from  Boston,  ain't  you?  " 
he  exclaimed  impulsively. 

In  the  next  room,  Lucy,  listening  sleepily 
to  the  two  voices,  had  been  noting  the  dif- 
ference in  their  quality.  Conrad's  was  high 
and  clear,  his  speech  rapid  and  incisive.  Her 
father's,  lower  and  more  deliberate,  had  in  it 
a  subtle,  persuasive  quality.  "  Dear  daddy!  " 
she  whispered  softly,  her  heart  warm  with 
affection.  Then  the  new,  sharp  edge  in  Con- 
rad's tone  gripped  her  attention  and  sent  her 
eyes  flying  open.  Wide  awake  on  the  instant, 
she  listened  for  the  sound  of  her  father's 
voice  again.  Had  she  been  on  the  scene,  she 
might  have  noted  that  he  turned  an  instant's 
keen  gaze  upon  his  companion  before  he  an- 
swered, carelessly  enough: 

'  Yes ;  originally.  But  I  've  come  from  so 
many  other  places  since  then  that  I  almost 
forget  it,  unless  somebody  reminds  me.  I 


20          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

have  n't  been  back  there,  or  known  much 
about  the  old  place,  for  years." 

Conrad's  boyish  smile  illuminated  his  face 
and  twinkled  in  his  blue  eyes.  '  Yes,"  he 
said ;  "  'most  everybody  out  here  is  so  ever- 
lastingly on  the  lope  that  it 's  no  wonder  some 
of  'em  lose  their  names  every  once  in  a  while 
and  have  to  pick  up  'most  anything  that  comes 
handy.  I  'm  no  exception,  though  I  Ve  not 
yet  forgotten  '  what  was  my  name  back  in  the 
States.'  But  did  you  know  anything  about 
the  Delafield  affair  in  Boston,  fifteen  or  six- 
teen years  ago  ?  " 

"  I  heard  of  it  at  the  time,  but  it  was  after 
I  left  the  city.  It  was  so  long  ago  that  I 
forget  the  details.  Skipped,  did  n't  he,  with 
a  lot  of  funds?  Or  was  he  the  one  who  de- 
faulted and  jumped  into  the  Charles  River?  " 

Conrad  had  an  eagerness  of  speech  and 
manner  that  in  a  man  of  less  vigor  would 
have  been  accounted  nervousness.  Voice, 
face,  and  gesture  were  alive  with  it  as  he 
responded:  "  Jump  nothing!  except  to  get  out 
of  reach  of  his  creditors !  He 's  alive  yet  and 
making  money  somewhere,  and  I  mean  to  find 
him!  I've  got  a  particular  interest  in  that 
man,  and  when  I  come  up  with  him  he  '11  have 
a  particular  interest  in  me.  For  I  'm  going 


VENGEANCE  AVOWED  21 

to  give  him  such  a  song-and-dance  as  he 's 
never  had  before." 

Bancroft  listened  calmly,  his  face  and  man- 
ner as  impassive  as  usual,  but  his  eyes  nar- 
rowed as  they  met  his  companion's  excited 
gaze.  Smiling  slightly,  he  replied,  "  What 
has  he  done  to  stir  you  up  so?  You  must 
have  been  too  young  to  be  interested  in  finan- 
cial investments  then." 

"  So  I  was,  directly.  Nevertheless,  it  hap- 
pens, Aleck,  that  the  Delafield  affair  has  in- 
fluenced me  and  my  life  more  than  any  other 
one  thing.  My  father  lost  everything  he  had 
in  Sumner  L.  DelafiekTs  smash-up.  I  was 
fifteen  years  old  then,  and  getting  ready  to 
go  to  Michigan  University  —  afterward  I 
was  to  study  law  and  be  a  prominent  citi- 
zen. My  father  met  Delafield  first  during  a 
business  trip  to  Boston  —  we  lived  in  central 
Illinois,  and  father  was  well-to-do  —  and,  just 
like  everybody  else,  he  gave  the  man  his  en- 
tire confidence.  You  remember,  of  course, 
how  Delafield  came  to  the  top  as  a  regular 
young  Napoleon  of  business,  and  soon  made  a 
reputation  as  one  of  the  big  financiers.  When 
he  turned  up  missing  one  fine  morning,  and  it 
was  found  that  the  bottom  had  dropped  out 
of  everything,  most  people  believed  he  had 


22          THE   DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

killed  himself.  But  he  had  n't,  I  happen  to 
know,  and  he  's  still  alive.  Well,  my  father 
had  been  so  influenced  by  Delafield —  the 
fellow  must  have  been  a  persuasive  cuss  — 
that  he  had  put  everything  he  could  raise 
into  the  man's  schemes,  and  had  even  mort- 
gaged our  home.  He  had  a  weak  heart,  and 
when  he  read  the  news  of  Delafield's  default 
and  disappearance  he  fell  out  of  his  chair 
dead.  The  sudden  shock  of  it  all  prostrated 
my  mother,  and  she  died  in  giving  prema- 
ture birth  to  a  child.  So  there  was  I,  a 
fifteen-year-old  boy,  suddenly  dropped  to  the 
bottom  of  poverty,  with  two  younger  sisters 
and  a  little  brother  to  take  care  of. 

"  I  tell  you,  I  swore  vengeance  on  that 
man.  I  promised  myself  I  'd  hunt  him  down 
if  it  took  a  lifetime.  I  'm  on  his  trail  now, 
and  I  'm  not  going  to  leave  it  until  I  run  him 
into  his  hole.  Then  I  'm  going  to  stand  him 
up  and  call  him  to  his  face  all  he  deserves; 
and  give  him  a  gun,  so  he  can  have  a  fair 
chance  for  his  worthless  life,  and  take  one 
myself;  and  then  I'll  put  a  bullet  through 
his  scoundrel  brain  if  I  have  to  hang  for  it 
afterward ! " 

In  the  adjoining  room  Lucy  Bancroft,  with 
wide  eyes  and  heightened  color,  was  listening 


VENGEANCE  AVOWED  23 

to  Conrad's  story.  The  thrill  of  keen-edged 
purpose  in  his  tense  and  eager  tones  had  set 
her  nerves  to  vibrating  until  her  body  was 
a-tremble.  At  his  last  sentence  Curtis  brought 
his  fist  down  on  the  table  with  a  crash  that 
almost  startled  her  into  outcry.  A  moment 
of  silence  followed,  and  then  she  heard  her 
father's  cool  and  even  voice,  "  But  suppose 
he  should  put  one  through  yours  first?" 

"  Oh,  he  's  welcome  to  do  that  if  he  can 
draw  quicker  or  shoot  straighter  than  I  can. 
He  '11  get  one  through  his  head  before  the 
baile  is  over,  and  that 's  all  I  care  about.  The 
round-up  's  coming,  and  I  reckon  he  knows 
it.  For  to-day  I  got  a  letter  from  Tremper 
&  Townsend  of  Boston,  who  settled  up  his 
affairs  after  his  disappearance,  enclosing  a 
check  for  five  hundred  dollars,  saying  he 
wished  it  sent  to  me  as  the  first  instalment 
of  the  amount  he  owed  my  father,  which  he 
hopes,  before  long,  to  be  able  to  pay  in  full." 

Bancroft  flicked  the  ash  from  his  cigar  with 
unusual  care,  looked  at  it  with  contemplative 
interest,  and  drew  a  whiff  or  two  before  he 
spoke.  Turning  to  Conrad  with  a  quizzical 
smile,  he  said :  "  Well,  Curt,  does  n't  that 
rather  take  the  edge  off  your  purpose  ?  Why 
are  you  still  shaking  your  gory  locks  and 


24          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

roaring  like  a  wounded  bull  at  him  when 
he  's  evidently  doing  the  square  thing  by  you  ? 
Why  don't  you  let  up  on  your  chase  and  give 
him  a  chance  ?  " 

"  Not  on  your  life,"  was  Conrad's  emphatic 
rejoinder.  "  It 's  too  late  in  the  game  for  me 
to  take  repentance  and  an  honest  purpose  on 
the  hoof !  He 's  found  out  that  I  'm  getting 
hot  on  the  scent  and  he  wants  to  buy  me  off 
—  that 's  all  that  check  means.  It 's  not  the 
loss  of  the  money  that  sticks  in  my  craw; 
it 's  the  deviltry  he  worked  years  ago.  When- 
ever I  find  that  he 's  discharging  his  debts 
to  all  his  other  creditors,  who  aren't  after 
him  hot-foot,  then  I  '11  consent  to  wait  for 
my  parley  until  he  has  settled  the  whole 


score." 


Lucy  arose  from  the  bed  depressed  with 
a  vague  sense  of  trouble.  The  longing  seized 
her  to  be  out-of-doors  again,  alone  with  her 
father  on  the  wide  plain,  with  the  wind  smit- 
ing her  face  and  filling  her  lungs  and  making 
her  forget  everything  but  her  own  joy  in 
being  alive.  She  rubbed  her  eyes,  smoothed 
her  face,  and  forced  herself  to  smile  at  the 
reflection  in  the  mirror  until  her  agitation 
was  subdued.  And  presently,  smiling  and 
self-possessed,  she  opened  the  door  into  the 


VENGEANCE  AVOWED  25 

front  room,  just  as  her  father  was  finishing 
some  friendly  advice  to  Conrad. 

"  Well,  Curt,  it 's  your  affair,"  he  had  said, 
"  and  if  you  are  so  dead-set  on  getting  that 
kind  of  revenge  I  suppose  you  '11  go  ahead 
and  get  it.  But  you  'd  better  be  careful ;  if 
this  man  is  desperate  he  might  try  to  head 
you  off  by  the  same  means.  And  you  could  n't 
exactly  blame  him  for  objecting  to  being  shot 
in  his  tracks,  or  for  taking  measures  to  keep 
you  from  doing  it.  For  my  part,  I  never 
thought  revenge  was  a  paying  investment, 
and  I  still  believe  you  're  foolish  to  waste 
your  time,  energy,  and  money  in  that  sort 
of  business. 

"Ah,  Lucy,  is  that  you?"  he  went  on,  as 
she  opened  the  door.  "  Come  in,  dear.  Have 
you  had  a  nap,  and  do  you  feel  better  ?  " 

"  Yes,  thank  you,  I  Ve  rested  beautifully, 
and  I  'm  ready  to  start  whenever  you  wish," 
she  replied. 

Conrad  produced  a  bottle  of  port  wine,  tell- 
ing them  as  he  filled  their  glasses  that  it  had 
been  sent  him  by  a  friend  in  California  in 
whose  cellars  it  had  lain  for  twenty  years, 
and  that  it  would  be  a  good  tonic  for  Miss 
Bancroft.  The  friend  had  promised  to  send 
him  more,  and  with  her  permission  he  would 


26          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

take  a  bottle  to  her  the  next  time  he  went 
to  Golden. 

As  they  stepped  out  of  the  house  Lucy 
looked  toward  the  west,  whence  the  wind 
came,  and  as  it  struck  her  full  in  the  face 
she  gasped  for  breath  and  her  slender  body 
swayed  in  its  rushing  current.  She  grasped 
her  wide  hat  brim  with  both  hands  and  held 
it  down  so  that  it  made  a  frame  for  her  face. 
Laughing  with  joy  she  turned  to  Curtis. 

"  Oh,  I  love  these  winds,  Mr.  Conrad !  I 
know  they  blow  sand  into  your  eyes  and  pelt 
your  face  with  gravel,  but  they  make  you  feel 
so  good !  I  always  want  to  dance  when  I  Ve 
been  out  in  a  wind  like  this  for  a  minute  or 
two."  She  took  half  a  dozen  dancing  steps 
across  the  little  lawn.  "  And  they  are  so  pure 
and  sweet,"  she  went  on  more  seriously,  "  and 
make  you  feel  so  —  so  right  that  it  seems  as 
if  they  ought  to  blow  all  the  wickedness  out 
of  one's  mind." 

"  Jiminy !  I  wonder  if  she  heard  what  I 
said  in  there ! "  thought  Conrad  with  inward 
panic.  But  he  smiled  down  at  her  glowing 
young  face  and  his  eyes  shone  with  admira- 
tion as  he  replied :  "  That  is  a  beautiful  the- 
ory, Miss  Bancroft,  but  I  'm  afraid  it  does  n't 
pan  out  much  in  practice.  It  rather  seems 


VENGEANCE  AVOWED  27 

to  me  that  most  people  who  come  to  New 
Mexico  have  that  sort  of  thing  blown  into 
them  instead  of  out  of  them.  As  for  my- 
self," and  he  grinned  broadly,  "  I  can't  say 
that  I  feel  any  increase  in  righteousness,  no 
matter  how  much  I  waltz  around  in  these 
zephyrs." 

"  And  you  must  have  given  them  a  fair 
trial,  too !  "  she  laughed  back.  "  But  you  may 
make  all  the  fun  you  like  of  my  little  pet 
theory,  Mr.  Conrad.  I  shall  believe  in  it  just 
the  same,  and  like  the  country  just  as  much." 

"  No ;  she  did  n't  hear,  and,  besides,  she 
said  she  'd  been  asleep,  so  it 's  all  right," 
thought  Curtis  with  much  relief,  as  he  went 
on  eagerly :  "  I  'm  glad  you  're  pleased  with 
us  and  our  winds,  so  that  you  '11  want  to  stay. 
I  assure  you,  Miss  Bancroft,  you  can't  find 
such  a  superior  quality  of  wind  anywhere  else 
in  the  United  States." 

"  Oh,  I  'm  going  to  stay,  not  on  account 
of  the  wind,  but  on  account  of  my  father, 
who,  I  assure  you,  Mr.  Conrad,  is  the  most 
superior  quality  of  father  to  be  found  any- 
where in  the  United  States !  I  Ve  been  away 
from  him  so  much  that  now  I  'm  perfectly 
happy  to  be  with  him  all  the  time.  You  see, 
when  my  dear  mother  died  five  years  ago, 


28          THE   DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

father  put  me  in  a  boarding-school,  and  after- 
ward sent  me  to  Chicago  for  a  year  to  study 
music,  and  there  I  had  that  attack  of  typhoid 
fever  that  came  so  near  to  killing  me.  But 
I  'm  here  with  him  at  last,  and  I  mean  to 
stay.  And  I  'm  learning  to  ride  now,  Mr. 
Conrad,  and  father  thinks  I  'm  getting  on 
very  well;  don't  you,  daddy?"  She  turned 
to  her  father,  as  he  came  beside  them  at  the 
carriage  wheel,  with  a  fond  smile  and  a  touch 
of  her  hand  upon  his  arm. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  he  answered,  returning  her 
smile  and  patting  her  shoulder ;  "  you  are 
doing  bravely,  Lucy.  You  '11  soon  be  scour- 
ing the  plain  like  the  heroine  of  a  dime 
novel." 

"  No  New  Mexican  girl,"  said  Conrad  as 
he  helped  her  into  the  carriage,  "  thinks  she 
can  really  ride  until  she  can  rope  a  steer.  If 
you  're  going  to  be  such  an  enthusiastic  New 
Mexican  you  '11  have  to  learn  tricks  of  that 
sort.  Get  your  father  to  bring  you  out  here 
some  day,  and  I  '11  give  you  lessons  in  cowboy 
riding." 

"  Agreed !  that  would  be  great  fun ! "  she 
exclaimed,  smiling  down  at  him,  her  eyes 
twinkling  and  the  dimples  dancing  in  and  out 
of  her  cheeks.  "  We  '11  come  out,  won't  we, 


VENGEANCE  AVOWED  29 

daddy,  after  Miss  Dent  comes.  I  shall  re- 
member your  promise,  Mr.  Conrad." 

Curtis  waved  a  last  good-bye  as  they  turned 
the  corner  of  his  corral,  and  went  back  to  his 
desk  and  his  interrupted  mail.  "  A  mighty 
good  fellow  Aleck  Bancroft  is,"  he  said  in 
a  half-aloud  tone.  "  He  does  n't  palaver  a 
lot,  but  he  makes  you  feel  he  Js  your  friend. 
I  wonder  if  I  said  too  much  about  Delafield. 
That  check  had  wound  me  up  and  I  sure 
talked  more  than  I  meant  to."  Long  hours 
of  solitude  out  of  doors  with  only  a  silent 
plain  around  him  and  a  silent  sky  above  are 
likely  to  make  a  man  so  yearn  for  the  sound 
of  a  human  voice,  though  it  be  only  his  own, 
that  he  falls  into  the  habit  of  thinking  aloud. 
Conrad  had  the  social  temperament  and  it  had 
not  taken  the  wide  and  silent  spaces  of  earth 
and  air  long  to  engender  in  him  the  habit  of 
making  companionship  out  of  his  own  speech. 

He  pulled  thoughtfully  at  his  sunburned 
moustache  for  a  moment  as  he  considered  the 
matter.  "  It  might  have  been  just  as  well  if 
I  hadn't  said  so  much,"  he  went  on  aloud, 
"  but  he 's  close-mouthed  and  a  good  friend 
of  mine.  No,  she  did  n't  hear  me  —  that 's 
sure.  How  pretty  she  is  when  her  eyes 
twinkle  and  her  dimples  come  and  go!  I 


3o          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

hope  that  wine  will  come  in  time  for  me  to 
take  her  a  bottle  the  next  time  I  go  to  Golden. 
Well,  I  can  call  on  her,  anyway,  and  apolo- 
gize because  it  has  n't.  Hello !  Here  's  a 
letter  from  Littleton!  Has  he  got  hold  of 
something  new  about  Delafield?" 

"  I  was  down  in  the  northern  part  of  your 
Territory  last  week  on  other  business,"  he 
read,  "  and  I  happened  to  meet  a  man  who 
is,  I  think,  on  the  trail  of  the  very  same  per- 
son we  're  after,  though  he  's  been  working 
it  from  the  other  end.  If  I  'm  right  about  it, 
the  man  we  want  is  now  some  prominent  and 
respected  citizen  of  New  Mexico,  and  maybe 
some  good  friend  —  or  enemy  —  of  yours  at 
this  moment.  The  man  I  met  is  Rutherford 
W.  Jenkins,  of  Las  Vegas.  You  probably 
know  him  —  " 

"  Sure !  And  know  him  to  be  a  skunk ! " 
Conrad  exclaimed  with  a  contemptuous  snort. 

"  I  could  n't  get  much  out  of  him,"  the  letter 
went  on,  "  although  I  gave  him  a  tip  about 
the  trail  we  're  on  and  a  little  of  Delafield's 
history  as  a  bait.  He  snapped  at  it,  and  then 
began  to  dissemble  his  satisfaction,  so  I  'm 
sure  it  is  of  value  to  him.  But  not  even  fire- 
water would  make  him  give  up  anything  more. 
However,  I  feel  pretty  sure  that  he  either 


VENGEANCE  AVOWED  31 

knows  already  who  Delafield  is  or  expects 
soon  to  find  out.  I  think  he  's  working  at  it 
with  an  eye  to  the  possibilities  of  blackmail 
of  one  sort  or  another.  Perhaps  if  you  see 
him  yourself  you  can  get  something  out  of 
him." 

Conrad's  face  glowed  with  satisfaction  as 
he  finished  the  letter.  "  The  birds  won't  get 
a  chance  to  make  any  nests  in  my  hair  this 
trip !  I  '11  sashay  up  the  line  this  very  night 
and  I  '11  find  out  who  Delafield  is  from  Jen- 
kins, if  I  have  to  choke  the  life  out  of  him 
to  do  it.  God !  "  His  vengeful  desire  glowed 
like  a  blue  flame  in  his  eyes.  He  jumped  to 
his  feet,  stretched  out  his  arms,  and  clenched 
his  fists.  "  Sumner  L.  Delafield,  it 's  getting 
time  for  you  to  say  your  prayers ! " 


CHAPTER   II 

THE   EVIL   THAT   MEN   DO 

LUCY  BANCROFT  and  her  father 
were  unusually  silent  as  they  drove 
toward  home.  After  an  effort  to 
chatter  gayly  she  grew  quiet — to  her  father's 
surprise,  for  she  was  ordinarily  a  vivacious 
companion.  Speculating  uneasily  whether 
or  not  she  had  heard  Conrad's  story,  and 
reassuring  himself  that  it  could  mean  noth- 
ing to  her  in  any  event,  he  made  several 
efforts  to  draw  her  into  speech.  But  she  an- 
swered with  her  mind  so  evidently  intent 
elsewhere  that  he  gave  up  the  attempt.  The 
fear  grew  on  him  that  she  had  overheard  the 
conversation  and  that  it  had  left  an  undue 
impression  on  her  mind. 

A  mirage  of  singularly  perfect  illusion  lay 
across  the  plain  to  their  left,  and  he  drew 
her  attention  to  its  silvery  surface,  the  trees 
bordering  its  unreal  banks,  the  cattle  stand- 
ing knee-deep  in  its  waters,  and  the  steam- 
boat puffing  across  its  breast.  Lucy  admired 


THE  EVIL  THAT  MEN  DO        33 

and  wondered  for  a  moment,  then  turned  the 
other  way  and  looked  back  at  the  green  tree 
clusters  and  white  buildings  of  the  ranch  they 
had  left.  Her  gaze  lingered  there  until  they 
crossed  the  hill,  and  its  summit  hid  the  scene 
from  view. 

Bancroft  sought  to  reassure  himself.  Did 
she  not  say  she  had  been  asleep?  And  the 
door  was  shut.  Surely  she  could  not  have 
heard!  Even  if  she  had  why  should  she 
care  about  it?  Nevertheless,  her  silence 
made  him  anxious.  It  annoyed  him  to  think 
that  her  mind  was  intent  upon  Conrad's 
story.  He  made  another  effort  to  draw  her 
out  of  her  abstraction  by  asking  how  soon  she 
expected  their  friend,  Louise  Dent,  who  was 
coming  to  spend  the  Summer  with  them. 
Lucy  showed  interest  in  this  and  they  dis- 
cussed plans  for  her  entertainment.  But 
presently  she  fell  silent  again,  looking  straight 
ahead  with  a  little  frown  on  her  brow. 

The  conviction  gripped  Bancroft's  mind 
that  she  had  overheard  the  cattleman's  re- 
cital of  his  wrongs.  Alarm  stirred  in  his 
heart  as  he  tried  to  imagine  what  impression 
it  had  made  upon  her.  Would  she  sympa- 
thize with  Conrad?  For  the  moment  he  for- 
got everything  else  —  business  deals  and 

3 


34          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

political  contests,  friendships  and  enmities, 
in  his  desire  to  know  what  had  been  the 
effect  upon  the  girl  beside  him  of  Conrad's 
outburst.  But  much  as  he  wished  to  know," 
he  feared  still  more  the  surety  of  what  her 
feeling  might  be,  and  he  could  not  bring  him- 
self to  ask  the  questions  that  would  draw 
her  out. 

Presently  Lucy's  voice  broke  suddenly 
upon  their  silence.  "  I  wonder  what  became 
of  his  sisters !  "  Her  color  rose  as  she  spoke 
and  she  gazed  with  exaggerated  interest  at  a 
tall,  yellow-flowered  cactus  beside  the  road. 

"Whose  sisters,  Lucy?"  her  father  asked 
carelessly,  flicking  the  horses  to  a  faster 
pace.  But  his  heart  sank  as  he  thought, 
"She  did  hear  it  all!" 

"  Why,  Mr.  Conrad's.  You  know  he  said 
he  was  left  when  he  was  only  fifteen  with 
two  younger  sisters  and  a  little  brother  to 
take  care  of." 

"  Oh  —  Conrad  —  I  don't  know.  They  are 
probably  married  by  this  time.  That  was  a 
long  time  ago.  I  've  heard  him  mention  his 
sisters  before,  I  think.  Yes;  I  recall  now 
that  he  has  told  me  they  are  both  married 
and  prosperous  somewhere  in  Illinois  or 
Iowa." 


THE   EVIL  THAT  MEN   DO         35 

"  And  his  younger  brother  ?  " 

"  Oh,  he  's  just  a  young  fellow,  and  Curtis 
is  putting  him  through  college.  Conrad  banks 
with  me,  and  I  've  noticed  his  checks  some- 
times when  they  come  back/' 

"  How  good  he  is  to  them !  It  must  have 
been  very  hard  on  him/'  Lucy's  tone  was 
sympathetic,  but  her  father  replied  briskly: 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know !  Responsibility  is 
sometimes  just  the  thing  to  bring  out  all  the 
good  there  is  in  a  young  fellow  and  show 
what  sort  of  stuff  he  's  made  of." 

(<  I  suppose  that 's  why  he  's  never  mar- 
ried," Lucy  went  on,  following  her  own  line 
of  thought,,  her  voice  still  sounding  the  sym- 
pathetic note,  "  because  he  had  to  take  care 
of  the  others." 

"  I  don't  suppose  that 's  a  fault  in  your 
eyes,  my  dear." 

"  Of  course  not,  daddy ! "  Lucy  flashed 
back,  smiling  and  dimpling.  "  Of  course  a 
girl  likes  a  young  man  better  because  he  's 
more  interesting  and  can  pay  her  more  at- 
tention. You  would  yourself,  daddy,  if  you 
were  a  girl." 

"Very  likely,  my  dear.  But  I  like  Curtis 
Conrad  well  enough,  even  if  I  'm  not  as 
young  as  you  are  and  of  your  sex.  I  was 


36          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

disappointed  in  him  to-day,  though,  and  sur- 
prised as  well.  You  must  have  heard  what 
he  said;  how  did  it  strike  you  to  hear  a 
young  man  boast  of  his  intention  to  commit 
murder  ?  " 

He  spoke  so  earnestly  and  the  persuasive 
quality  in  his  voice  was  so  insistent  that  Lucy 
turned  upon  him  a  quick  look  of  surprise  and 
question.  Then  her  eyes  fell  as  a  sudden  rush 
of  emotion,  coming  she  knew  not  whence  or 
why,  almost  choked  her  utterance. 

"  I  don't  know/'  she  began  tremulously, 
"  perhaps  he  would  n't  really  do  it  —  I  don't 
believe  he  would  —  he  seems  too  good  and 
kind  to  be  really  wicked  or  cruel."  She 
stopped  a  moment,  only  to  break  out 
abruptly : 

"  And  it  was  such  a  wicked  thing  that 
man  Delafield  did!  Oh,  he  must  have  been 
a  villain !  As  wicked  and  cruel  —  oh,  as  bad 
as  he  could  be!  I  can't  blame  Mr.  Conrad 
for  feeling  as  he  does.  I  know  it  seems  an 
awful  thing  for  me  to  say,  but  I  really  can't 
blame  him,  daddy,  when  I  think  what  that 
man  made  him  suff er  —  and  he  was  only  one ; 
there  must  have  been  many  others.  I  might 
even  feel  the  same  way  if  I  were  in  his  place 
and  it  had  been  you  that  was  killed !  "  There 


THE  EVIL  THAT  MEN  DO        37 

was  a  thrill  in  her  voice  that  seemed  in  her 
father's  ears  to  be  the  echo  of  that  which  had 
vibrated  through  Curtis  Conrad's  words  when 
he  so  passionately  declared  his  purpose.  Her 
words  were  as  knife-thrusts  in  his  heart  as 
she  went  on,  "  Oh,  how  I  should  hate  him ! 
I  know  I  should  hate  him  with  all  my 
strength !  " 

He  made  no  immediate  reply,  leaning  for- 
ward to  tap  the  horses  with  the  whip-lash. 
Lucy  choked  down  a  sob  or  two,  turned, 
threw  her  arms  around  his  neck,  and  burst 
into  tears.  He  put  his  arm  about  her  with 
a  sudden  close  pressure,  and  she,  with  her 
eyes  hidden  against  his  shoulder,  could  not 
see  that  his  face  had  gone  suddenly  white 
and  that  underneath  his  brown  moustache  and 
pointed  beard  his  lips  were  pale  and  tense. 

'  Well,  well,  Lucy,"  he  said  presently,  his 
voice  calm  and  caressing,  "  there  's  no  need 
to  be  tragic  over  it.  Is  it  any  of  our  affair, 
even  if  Conrad  is  our  good  friend?  Possibly 
Delafield  was  n't  as  bad  as  he  says  —  it 's 
likely  Curt  exaggerates  about  him  —  he  usu- 
ally does  when  he  dislikes  anybody.  And 
perhaps  Delafield  suffered  as  much  as  —  the 
others.  Come,  dear,  brace  up  and  don't  be 
hysterical." 


38          THE   DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

Lucy  straightened  up  and  gave  her  father 
a  wavering,  wistful  smile.  "  It  was  silly  of 
me,  was  n't  it,  daddy,  to  act  like  that !  I  'm 
ashamed  of  myself.  I  don't  know  why  I  cried 
—  I  guess  it  was  because  I  am  tired." 


CHAPTER   III 

MISTAKE,    OR    BLUNDER? 

WITH  eager  pleasure  Conrad  gazed 
from  his  car  window  the  next 
morning  at  the  narrow  bright  rib- 
bon of  verdure  with  which  the  Rio  Grande 
pranks  itself  on  its  southward  course  through 
New  Mexico.  The  unkempt  fields,  the  or- 
chards and  meadows,  and  the  softened  and 
caressing  sunlight  were  as  balm  to  his  eyes, 
accustomed  to  the  pale,  grim  southern  plain 
and  its  fierce  white  sunshine.  As  the  train 
rushed  northward  along  the  banks  of  the 
muddy  stream,  he  looked  at  the  little  adobe 
houses,  wondering  how  long  these  peaceful 
Mexican  homes  could  withstand  the  pressure 
of  the  dominant  American.  He  became  aware 
that  the  men  behind  him  were  discussing  the 
same  question. 

"  It  will  be  only  a  few  years,"  one  of  them 
was  saying,  "  until  this  rich  valley  with  all 
this  water  for  irrigation  will  be  in  American 
hands." 


40          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

"  The  greasers  are  safe  enough,"  said  his 
companion,  "  until  they  begin  tOf  borrow  on 
mortgages.  Then  their  fate  is  settled." 

"  I  heard  the  other  day,"  responded  the  first, 
"  that  Dell  Baxter  's  been  corralling  a  lot  of 
mortgages  on  the  land  hereabouts." 

The  other  chuckled.  "  You  bet.  Dell  ain't 
the  man  to  let  a  little  chance  like  this  slip  by 
him.  These  paisanos  look  on  him  as  a  sort 
of  '  little  father '  and  borrow  money  of  him 
with  utter  heedlessness  of  the  day  of  reckon- 
ing. He  jollies  them  along  and  tells  'em 
they  're  good  fellows  and  hard  workers,  and 
he 's  sure  they  '11  be  able  to  pay  when  the 
time  comes.  Of  course  they  never  pay  back 
a  blessed  peso,  and  Baxter  gets  the  ranch. 
I  '11  bet  it  won't  be  long  till  he  '11  be  exploit- 
ing a  big  land  improvement  company  and  sell- 
ing these  'doby  farms  for  ten  times  what  they 
cost  him." 

The  talk  of  the  two  men  drifted  into  poli- 
tics, and  presently  Conrad  heard  them  dis- 
cussing Bancroft's  loyal  support  of  Baxter 
for  Congress.  "  He 's  got  to  do  it,"  said 
one  of  them.  "  Dell 's  been  loaning  him 
money  and  taking  mortgages  until  Bancroft 
could  n't  do  anything  else  if  he  wanted  to. 
Dell  knows  that  Bancroft's  support  is  a 


MISTAKE,  OR   BLUNDER?          41 

mighty  important  asset  on  account  of  the 
confidence  people  have  in  him,  and  Dell 's 
been  careful  to  cinch  it  good  and  tight." 

As  Curtis  bought  an  Albuquerque  morning 
paper  from  the  train-boy  he  thought  indig- 
nantly, "  That 's  all  poppycock !  Aleck 's  got 
too  much  grit  to  let  anybody  throttle  him  with 
a  few  dirty  pesos.  Hullo !  What 's  this  about 
Jenkins  ?  "  His  eye  had  caught  the  name  of 
the  man  he  wished  to  see  in  a  column  of  local 
news.  As  he  read,  "  Rutherford  W.  Jenkins 
came  down  from  Las  Vegas  yesterday  and  is 
stopping  at  the  Metropolitan,"  his  face  shone 
with  satisfaction.  "  Good  luck !  "  he  thought. 
;<  We  '11  be  in  Albuquerque  in  half  an  hour, 
and  I  '11  go  for  my  man  like  a  steer  on  the 
prod!" 

At  the  hotel  he  found  Jenkins,  with  a  num- 
ber of  other  men,  smoking  and  talking  on  the 
porch.  He  did  not  expect  to  be  remembered, 
for  they  had  met  only  once,  months  before. 
But  Jenkins  came  forward  with  his  hand  out- 
stretched in  greeting.  "  How  do  you  do,  Mr. 
Conrad!  You  don't  get  up  to  this  part  of 
the  Territory  very  often ;  but  we  're  always 
glad  to  see  you." 

'  Thank  you,  Mr.  Jenkins.  I  Ve  come  this 
time  especially  to  see  you,  and  as  soon  as  you 


42          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

have  a  moment  or  two  to  spare  I  'd  like  a 
private  conversation." 

"  Certainly !  With  pleasure !  Just  excuse 
me  for  a  minute,  will  you,  till  I  finish  up  the 
business  I  have  with  these  men,  and  then 
we  '11  go  up  to  my  room." 

Conrad  waited,  tense  and  expectant,  the 
quite  apparent  fact  that  Jenkins  was  engaged 
in  mere  desultory  chat  and  story-telling  in- 
creasing his  irritation  at  the  delay.  He  had 
jumped  to  the  conclusion  that  Jenkins  knew 
who  Delafield  was,  and  his  breath  came  short 
and  chokingly  at  the  thought  that  in  a  few 
minutes  he,  too,  would  know.  To  know  would 
be  to  act.  His  revolver  was  in  his  hip-pocket, 
and  he  intended  to  go  straight  from  the  in- 
terview to  that  meeting  which  for  half  his 
years  had  been  the  one  goal  of  his  thought. 
He  glanced  at  Jenkins,  saying  to  himself, 
"  He  looks  like  a  weasel,  and  I  reckon  he  is 
just  enough  of  one  to  have  wormed  around 
and  worked  this  thing  out."  Jenkins  was  tall, 
slender,  and  slightly  stooped,  his  face  long 
and  thin,  with  its  salient  features  crowded 
too  close  together.  "  I  reckon  he  knows,  all 
right,"  Conrad's  thought  went  on,  "  and  he  '11 
tell  me  if  I  make  the  inducement  big  enough 
—  he  'd  do  anything  for  money !  " 


MISTAKE,  OR   BLUNDER?          43 

Under  cover  of  the  conversation  Jenkins 
had  been  doing  his  share  of  rapid  thinking, 
prolonging  the  talk  for  that  very  purpose. 
He  was  putting  together,  with  the  acumen 
of  a  man  in  whom  detective  processes  are  a 
natural  endowment,  enough  facts  to  convince 
him  of  the  reason  for  Conrad's  visit,  con- 
sidering the  while  just  what  he  should  do. 
He  felt  sure  that  he  must  expect  a  direct 
question  about  Delafield's  identity,  but  he  put 
off  decision  upon  his  response  until  he  should 
hear  the  inquiry. 

"  Now,  Mr.  Conrad,  we  '11  go  straight  up 
to  my  room,"  he  said  cordially,  laying  a 
familiar  hand  upon  the  other's  shoulder. 
Curtis  shrank  back  a  little,  falling  behind 
with  a  promptitude  that  left  no  doubt  of  his 
intention  to  keep  the  interview  entirely  for- 
mal. Jenkins  licked  his  lips  with  an  unwhole- 
some smile,  and  led  the  way  in  silence.  As 
the  door  closed  behind  them,  Conrad  became 
aware  of  an  increase  of  repugnance  toward 
this  man  so  great  that  the  necessity  of  deal- 
ing with  him  was  an  irritation. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Conrad,"  said  Jenkins,  cheer- 
fully, giving  the  other  no  time  to  state  his 
mission,  "  I  hear  you  are  putting  in  some 
good  licks  for  Johnny  Martinez  down  in 


44          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

Silverside.  What  do  you  think  of  his  chances 
down  there  ?  Pretty  good,  are  n't  they  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  think  so,"  Curtis  replied  curtly ; 
and  plunged  into  his  own  affair.  "  I  have 
understood,  Mr.  Jenkins,  from  my  friend  Mr. 
Littleton,  of  Chicago,  whom  you  met  last 
week,  that  you  are  interested  in  a  matter  of 
prime  importance  to  me,  and  that  you  have 
some  information  I  want  to  get  hold  of." 

"  Oh,  yes ;  I  remember  meeting  Littleton 
last  week,"  Jenkins  broke  in.  "  A  good  fel- 
low, too.  So  he's  a  friend  of  yours,  is  he? 
Yes;  he  and  I  scraped  up  quite  a  friendship 
and  had  a  good  time  together.  But  say, 
Conrad,  the  amount  of  throat  varnish  that 
man  can  stand  is  something  amazing ! " 

Curtis  straightened  himself  in  his  chair  im- 
patiently. "  He  wrote  me  that  he  had  some 
conversation  with  you  about  Sumner  L.  Dela- 
field,  formerly  of  Boston,  but  now,  I  have 
reason  to  believe,  living  here  in  New  Mexico 
under  an  assumed  name." 

"  Yes ;  I  believe  we  did  have  a  little  talk 
about  Delafield,"  Jenkins  interrupted  again. 
;'  But  I  '11  have  to  confess,"  he  went  on  jocu- 
larly, "  that  my  mental  condition  was  n't  per- 
fectly clear  and  it 's  likely  my  remarks  were 
a  little  foggy  too.  But  I  recall  that  we  did 


MISTAKE,  OR   BLUNDER?          45 

have  some  conversation  about  the  Delafield 
affair.  Littleton  had  some  personal  interest 
in  Delafield's  failure,  didn't  he?" 

"  No;  all  the  work  he  has  done  on  the  case 
has  been  for  me.  I  have  considerable  inter- 
est in  it." 

"  Have  you,  indeed  ?  Now,  this  is  a  co- 
incidence !  For  some  time  past  I  Ve  been  a 
good  deal  interested  in  that  matter  myself. 
I  suppose  you  were  roped  into  some  of  his 
schemes  ?  " 

For  a  moment  Curtis  took  counsel  with 
himself  upon  what  and  how  much  he  should 
say,  only  to  thrust  back  his  repulsion  against 
saying  anything  at  all  to  this  man  and  plunge 
frankly  into  his  narrative.  With  the  utmost 
brevity  he  told  of  his  father's  ruin  and  of 
his  own  trailing  of  the  culprit  through  so 
many  years.  Of  his  motives  he  said  nothing, 
and  of  his  work  in  tracking  Delafield  no 
more  than  was  necessary.  Few,  even  of  his 
best  friends,  knew  anything  about  the  secret 
scheme  of  vengeance  he  had  nursed  from  boy- 
hood. Even  Littleton,  the  detective  who  had 
aided  him  in  the  quest,  did  not  know  that  he 
wanted  to  face  Delafield  for  any  reason  other 
than  to  demand  restitution. 

Having  briefly  outlined  his  story,  Conrad 


46          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

V 

went  on  to  say  that  Littleton  had  led  him  to 
think  that  Jenkins  must  be  engaged  in  the 
same  search,  and  suggested  that  an  exchange 
of  their  discoveries  might  be  for  their  mutual 
benefit. 

Jenkins  listened  with  evident  interest,  ask- 
ing questions  here  and  there  concerning  cer- 
tain points  in  the  other's  long  chase  of  the 
fugitive.  "  Yes ;  you  've  done  very  well,  Con- 
rad," he  said,  admiration  in  his  voice,  "  very 
well  indeed.  That  was  a  damned  crooked 
trail  and  you  Ve  done  a  fine  piece  of  work 
in  following  it  through." 

Curtis  gnawed  his  moustache  and  frowned. 
Jenkins's  evasive  speeches  were  increasing  his 
irritation  and  repugnance  almost  beyond  his 
control.  "  The  amount  of  the  matter  is,"  he 
burst  out,  "  I  Ve  got  the  notion  that  you  know 
who  Delafield  is,  and  I  'm  willing  to  pay  you 
for  the  information.  I  shall  undoubtedly  be 
able  to  find  out  for  myself  if  I  keep  at  it  a 
little  longer,  but  it  happens  that  I  want  to 
know  at  once.  If  you  know  positively  who 
he  is,  I  am  willing  to  pay  you  three  hundred 
dollars  for  the  knowledge." 

Jenkins  walked  to  the  window  and  stood 
there  silently.  He  was  weighing  one  thing 
against  another,  and  deciding  whether  he 


MISTAKE,  OR  BLUNDER?          47 

should  tell  the  whole  truth,  a  part  of  it,  or 
none  at  all.  Presently  he  said  to  himself  that 
a  bird  in  the  hand  to-day  is  worth  a  whole 
flock  that  may  be  in  the  bush  to-morrow. 

"  Before  I  decide  about  your  offer,  Mr. 
Conrad,"  he  began  cautiously,  "  there  are  two 
or  three  things  I  would  like  to  know.  You 
are  doing  some  good  work  for  Martinez  for 
Congress,  I  understand." 

"  The  best  I  can,"  answered  Curtis  with 
surprise. 

;<  Well,  as  you  know,  I  am  warmly  in  his 
favor  myself.  I  want  to  get  him  the  support 
of  as  many  leading  men  in  the  Territory  as 
possible.  This  man  Delafield  is  one  of  Bax- 
ter's influential  lieutenants,  and  I  particularly 
want  to  win  him  over  to  Martinez.  You,  I 
happen  to  know,  have  some  influence  with 
him." 

A  nervous  start  betrayed  the  strain  Conrad 
was  under,  and  an  eager  look  lighted  his 
face.  Jenkins  saw  it,  smiled  blandly,  and  in- 
wardly decided  to  demand  another  hundred 
dollars.  "  It  has  occurred  to  me,"  he  went 
on,  "  that  you  might  be  able  to  influence 
him  when  I  could  n't.  Combine  this  leverage 
with  your  friendship,  and  I  believe  almost 
anything  is  possible.  If  I  let  you  have  this 


48          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

information  will  you  agree  to  use  it  and 
your  influence  in  such  a  way  as  to  induce 
him  to  join  in  with  Johnny  Martinez  ?  " 

The  look  that  blazed  in  Conrad's  eyes, 
coupled  with  the  same  involuntary  shrinking 
movement  that  he  had  made  in  escaping 
Jenkins's  hand  at  the  foot  of  the  stairway, 
showed  the  rapid  ebbing  of  his  self-control. 
Jenkins  noticed  both  look  and  movement,  and 
a  gleam  of  angry  resentment  flashed  into  his 
dark  eyes.  But  it  was  quickly  repressed,  as 
he  suavely  asked,  "  Well,  what  do  you  say?  " 

"  I  don't  know  that  I  can  promise,"  said 
Curtis,  stiffly,  "  that  my  influence  would  count 
as  much  as  that.  Possibly  it  will  be  enough 
to  keep  him  from  supporting  Dellmey  Baxter. 
Yes,"  he  went  on  with  a  grim  look,  "  I  think 
I  can  assure  you  he  will  be  neutral  through 
the  rest  of  this  campaign." 

'  That  might  perhaps  be  satisfactory,"  said 
Jenkins  meditatively,  inwardly  deciding  to 
raise  the  price  another  hundred  dollars  in  lieu 
of  the  aid  for  Martinez.  "  But  if  that  is  all 
you  're  sure  of  doing  I  shall  have  to  ask  more 
money  for  the  information.  It  has  cost  me 
a  great  deal  of  time  and  effort,  and  if  I  can't 
bring  about  this  result  with  it  I  must  repay 
myself  some  other  way.  I  will  tell  you  what 


MISTAKE,  OR   BLUNDER?          49 

you  want  to  know,  Mr.  Conrad,  if  you  will 
give  me  five  hundred  dollars  and  your  prom- 
ise to  do  your  best  to  get  him  to  support 
Martinez." 

'  That  is  what  I  said  I  could  not  do ;  and 
you  are  asking  more  money  because  I  could 
not  promise  it." 

'  Well,  then,  if  you  will  promise  to  induce 
him  to  remain  neutral  during  this  campaign." 

'  Yes ;  I  will  promise  that,  and  I  will  give 
you  the  five  hundred  dollars." 

"Very  well;   it's  a  bargain." 

Curtis  wrote  his  check  for  that  sum  on  the 
First  National  Bank  of  Golden.  Jenkins  ex- 
amined the  bit  of  paper,  folded  it  away  in  his 
pocket-book,  rubbed  his  hands,  and  smiled  at 
Conrad. 

'  You  will  be  surprised/'  he  said,  "  when 
you  hear  the  man's  name.  He  is  well  known 
to  you,  and  he  is  universally  regarded,  all 
over  New  Mexico,  as  a  model  citizen,  as 
square  and  honest  as  any  man  in  the  Terri- 
tory —  and  much  more  so  than  most  of 
them." 

'  Yes  ?  "  said  Conrad,  rising  and  reaching 
for  his  hat. 

'  Yes,  you  will  be  astonished,  I  promise 
you,"  Jenkins  went  on,  rising  and  facing 


5o          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

Curtis,  still  smiling  and  rubbing  his  hands 
together  in  satisfaction.  "  For  Sumner  L. 
Delafield,  the  fugitive  from  justice/'  —  he 
began  speaking  slowly  and  impressively,  — 
"  the  absconding  defaulter,  the  man  who  sank 
the  fortunes  of  hundreds  of  people,  the  man 
who  had  to  hide  in  Canada  and  slink  around 
in  out-of-the-way  places  for  so  many  years, 
is  now  known  as  "  —  there  was  a  brief  pause 
to  give  his  revelation  its  fullest  dramatic 
effect  —  "  is  now  known  in  New  Mexico  as 
Alexander  Bancroft,  president  of  the  bank  on 
which  your  check  is  drawn." 

Conrad  started,  and  his  attitude  of  eager 
attention  stiffened.  For  an  instant  half  a 
dozen  Jenkinses  seemed  to  be  whirling  about 
the  room.  Out  of  the  repugnance,  contempt, 
and  anger  boiling  in  his  veins  shot  a  definite 
idea,  —  the  desire  to  choke  the  man  who  had 
said  this  thing  about  his  best  friend.  He 
leaped  forward,  seized  Jenkins  by  the  collar, 
and  shook  him  as  if  he  had  been  a  ten-year- 
old  boy.  Although  his  arms  were  flying  hither 
and  yon  Jenkins  grabbed  wildly  for  the  pistol 
in  his  pocket.  Curtis  saw  the  movement,  and 
with  his  left  hand  seized  the  butt.  As  he 
pulled  it  out  Jenkins  caught  its  barrel;  but 
with  a  twist  of  his  right  arm  and  a  jerk  with 


MISTAKE,  OR  BLUNDER?          51 

his  left  Conrad  wrested  the  gun  from  the 
other's  hand  and  threw  it  under  the  bed. 

His  face  white  and  his  eyes  blazing,  he 
grasped  Jenkins  by  the  shoulders  and  jammed 
him  against  the  wall  until  the  windows  rattled. 
With  two  quick,  backward  strides  he  gained 
the  door.  Opening  it  with  a  hand  stretched 
behind  him,  Curtis  spoke  with  deliberate  em- 
phasis, pointing  his  words  with  a  menacing 
forefinger : 

"  Rutherford  Jenkins,  you  are  the  damned- 
est liar  and  vilest  skunk  that  ever  made  tracks 
in  New  Mexico,  and  if  you  ever  tell  that  lie 
about  Bancroft  to  another  living  soul  I  '11 
wring  your  neck !  " 

Jenkins  sprang  toward  the  door,  but  as  it 
closed  from  without  he  stooped,  shook  him- 
self together,  and  swore  under  his  breath. 
He  took  out  the  check,  and  chuckled.  "  I  '11 
get  it  cashed  before  he  changes  his  mind," 
he  thought.  Then  a  wave  of  anger  and  re- 
sentment rolled  over  him  and  he  shook  an 
impotent  fist  at  the  closed  door.  "  Damn 
him ! "  he  said  aloud,  "  I  '11  get  even  with 
him  yet." 


CHAPTER   IV 

THE   POWERS   CONFER 

ECY  BANCROFT  bade  a  smiling  good- 
bye to  her  father  at  the  door  of 
the  First  National  Bank,  and  crossed 
the  street  to  a  store  on  the  corner  oppo- 
site. Lingering  in  the  doorway  for  her 
turn  to  be  waited  upon,  she  watched  him 
with  admiring  eyes.  "  What  a  handsome 
man  daddy  is,"  she  was  thinking;  "  I  like 
a  man  to  be  tall  and  straight  and  broad- 
shouldered;  and  I  'm  glad  he  's  always  so  well 
groomed ;  I  'd  love  him  just  as  much  if  he 
was  n't,  but  I  could  n't  be  quite  so  proud  of 
him." 

Another  man  was  coming  up  the  street 
toward  her  father,  and  Lucy  smiled  as  her 
eyes  fell  upon  him.  "  There 's  Congressman 
Baxter,"  her  thought  ran  on.  "  How  slouchy 
and  dumpy  he  seems  beside  daddy!  They 
say  he 's  one  of  the  smartest  men  in  the 
Territory;  but  I'm  sure  daddy  is  just  as 
smart  as  he  is,  and  he  's  certainly  a  great  deal 


THE   POWERS   CONFER  53 

handsomer  and  nicer  looking.    And  he  's  just 
as  nice  as  he  looks,  too,  my  dear  daddy !  " 

Bancroft  appeared  the  man  of  substance 
and  of  consequence,  confident  alike  in  him- 
self and  in  the  regard  of  the  community,  as 
he  stood  in  the  door  of  his  bank  and  met  the 
Congressman  with  friendly  greeting.  "  Glad 
to  see  you,  Baxter !  Come  in !  I  want  to  have 
a  talk  with  you." 

Dellmey  Baxter  shook  hands  cordially, 
pleasure  at  the  meeting  fairly  radiating  from 
his  round,  sunburned  face,  even  his  cold  gray 
eyes  borrowing  warmth  from  his  gratified 
and  shining  countenance.  One  of  these  eyes 
was  set  at  an  angle  slightly  oblique,  its  pecu- 
liarity made  more  prominent  by  the  loose  hang- 
ing of  the  upper  lid  from  the  outer  corner. 
The  expression  of  cunning  thus  given  to  the 
upper  part  of  his  face  was  curiously  at  vari- 
ance with  his  jovial  look  and  manner. 

In  Bancroft's  private  office  Baxter's  first 
question  was  if  the  other  had  yet  visited  the 
mine  at  the  base  of  Mangan's  Peak,  concern- 
ing which  they  had  had  correspondence. 

'Yes;  I  was  there  this  week.  The  man 
who  owns  it  has  n't  sabe  enough  about  mines 
to  know  what  a  good  proposition  he  's  got. 
He  '11  sell  cheap  for  cash,  for  he  needs  the 


54         THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

money.  I  think  it 's  a  first-class  investment, 
and  we  'd  better  snap  it  up.  Shall  we  make 
it  half  and  half?'' 

"  I  don't  know  about  going  in  as  a  partner, 
Aleck.  I  'm  getting  too  much  tied  up  in  all 
kinds  of  enterprises,  and  I  don't  want  to  have 
more  on  my  hands  than  I  can  attend  to.  But 
if  it 's  a  good  thing  I  'd  like  to  help  you  get 
hold  of  it ;  I  know  you  'd  hustle  its  develop- 
ment and  make  all  there  is  in  it  tell  for  the 
reputation  of  New  Mexico.  I  Ve  got  too 
many  other  things  on  hand  to  go  in  as  a 
partner,  but  if  you  haven't  the  ready  cash 
to  buy  it  yourself  I'll  advance  you  what  you 
need  and  take  a  mortgage  on  the  property." 

In  the  persuasive  tones  of  Bancroft's  reply 
there  was  no  hint  of  the  reluctance  and  dis- 
appointment he  inwardly  felt  at  this  prospect 
of  having  to  increase  his  indebtedness  to  Bax- 
ter, concerning  which  he  already  felt  some 
anxiety. 

'  That  hardly  seems  fair,  Dell.  You  gave 
me  the  hint  about  the  mine,  and  you  ought  to 
make  more  than  that  out  of  it.  I  'm  satisfied 
it 's  an  almighty  good  proposition  and  can  be 
made  to  pay  for  itself  and  for  the  money 
needed  in  initial  development  inside  the  first 
year." 


THE  POWERS  CONFER  55 

"  Oh,  that 's  all  right,"  Baxter  responded 
heartily.  "  I  'm  glad  to  let  the  chance  come 
your  way,  because  you  Ve  got  more  sabe  and 
more  hustle  than  any  other  man  I  know,  and 
you  '11  do  something  worth  while  with  it. 
Think  about  it,  and  we  '11  talk  it  over  again 
before  I  go  back.  I  'm  down  here  now  mainly 
for  politics.  You  know  Silverside  County  as 
well  as  any  man  in  it  —  how  do  things 
look?" 

'  Well,  it 's  always  a  close  county,  you 
know.  But  you  '11  probably  get  the  delegates 
to  the  convention,  and  I  reckon  you  '11  stand 
as  good  a  chance  on  election  day  as  Johnny 
Martinez." 

The  other  chuckled.  ;<  Well,  I  rather 
guess !  Why,  he  's  got  no  money  to  put  into 
the  fight!" 

"No;  but  there  are  the  Castletons." 

"  I  heard  that  their  superintendent  at  So- 
corro  Springs  ranch  —  what's  his  name?  — 
Conrad  ?  —  had  come  out  strong  in  his  favor. 
What  do  they  care  about  it?  Neither  one  of 
'em  spends  two  weeks  out  of  the  year  in  the 
Territory." 

"  Oh,  if  they  really  have  any  interest  in 
it  I  suppose  it 's  that  everlasting  '  cousin ' 
business  of  the  Mexicans.  You  know  Ned 


56          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

Castleton  married  a  first  cousin  of  Johnny's, 
although  she  's  half  American." 

Baxter  looked  thoughtful.  "If  he's  got 
the  Castleton  money  back  of  him,"  he  began 
doubtfully,  but  broke  off  with  an  opposing 
idea :  "  I  've  heard  that  the  wives  of  the  two 
brothers  fight  each  other  to  the  limit  on  every 
proposition  that  comes  along,  and  I  reckon 
if  Turner's  wife  found  out  that  Ned's  wife 
wanted  Martinez  boosted  into  Congress  she  'd 
see  to  it  that  Turner  blocked  the  game  if  he 
could." 

"  If  Ned  Castleton  should  back  up  Marti- 
nez with  a  bagful  or  two  of  his  loose  cash  it 
would  make  mighty  hard  sledding  for  us," 
observed  Bancroft. 

Baxter  pursed  his  lips  and  whistled  softly. 
"  I  reckon  it  would ! "  he  said,  with  an  air 
of  taking  the  other  into  his  innermost  coun- 
sels. Then  he  broke  out  warmly :  "  That  was 
damn  good  of  you,  Aleck,  to  come  out  for  me 
as  squarely  as  you  did  in  the  Albuquerque 
Leader  the  other  day!  It 's  a  good  thing  for 
me,  all  over  the  Territory,  to  have  people  know 
that  Alexander  Bancroft  is  supporting  me. 
They  've  got  confidence  in  you,  Aleck.  I  ap- 
preciate it,  I  tell  you,  and  I  won't  forget  it, 
either." 


THE   POWERS   CONFER  57 

Baxter  had  already  served  two  terms  in 
Congress,  and  some  members  of  his  party 
thought  he  should  be  willing  to  stand  aside 
and  give  some  one  else  the  prize.  This  made 
him  anxious  about  the  outcome  of  the  ap- 
proaching convention,  and  set  him  to  inter- 
rogating the  banker  regarding  the  intentions 
of  this,  that,  and  the  other  man  of  local  con- 
sequence. At  last  he  came  back  to  the  sub- 
ject of  the  Castletons. 

"  Do  you  really  think,  Aleck,  that  Ned 
Castleton's  money  is  behind  Martinez?  If 
it  is,  that  would  explain  Conrad's  attitude." 

Bancroft  saw  that  the  Congressman  was 
worried  by  the  possibility  of  such  effective 
opposition.  On  the  instant  an  idea  was  pro- 
jected into  his  mind,  born  of  his  own  secret 
anxiety  and  his  knowledge  of  Baxter's  repu- 
tation. It  came  so  suddenly  and  so  vividly 
that  it  took  him  unawares,  sending  a  telltale 
light  into  his  eyes  and  across  his  usually  im- 
passive countenance.  His  lids  were  quickly 
lowered,  but  Baxter  had  already  seen  the 
revealing  flash  and  was  wondering  what  it 
might  mean.  The  banker  hesitated  for  a  mo- 
ment, his  thoughts  confused  by  the  force  of 
the  bolt  which  had  shot  into  his  mind. 

"  Of  course  I  don't  know  anything  about 


58          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

it,"  he  went  on  cautiously,  the  other  watch- 
ing him  for  signs  of  self-betrayal,  "  but  it 
looks  to  me  as  if  Conrad  might  be  acting  as 
Ned  Castleton's  agent,  so  that  Ned  won't 
have  to  be  mixed  up  in  it.  That  would  take 
away  the  chance  of  Mrs.  Turner's  trying  to 
make  her  husband  block  the  game.  And  Con- 
rad is  violently  opposed  to  you.  He  handles 
you  without  gloves,  and  is  doing  all  he  can 
against  your  nomination.  He  says  he  '11  bolt 
you  if  you  get  it,  and  that  if  the  other  side 
puts  up  Martinez  he  '11  jump  in  and  fight  for 
him  with  both  feet  and  his  spurs  on." 

The  smile  faded  from  Baxter's  face,  and 
his  left  eyelid  drooped  lower  than  usual  —  a 
sign  that  his  mind  was  busy  with  some  knotty 
problem.  But  he  was  not  considering  the 
pros  and  cons  of  the  Castleton  money.  He 
was  wondering  why  that  sudden  purpose  had 
flashed  in  Bancroft's  eyes,  why  he  had  shown 
that  momentary  discomposure,  and  why  he 
was  now  dwelling  so  much  more  strongly  on 
the  fact  of  Conrad's  opposition.  He  drew 
his  chair  nearer  and  in  confidential  tones 
began  to  inquire  about  the  young  cattleman : 
11  Has  Conrad  got  much  influence?" 

*  Yes ;  a  good  deal.    He 's  a  bright,  ener- 
getic fellow,  and  he 's  made  lots  of  friends." 


THE  POWERS  CONFER  59 

"  Know  anything  about  him,  Aleck  ?  " 

"  Not  much.  Ned  Castleton  ran  across  him 
in  San  Francisco,  I  believe,  where  he  was 
agent  for  one  of  the  big  cattle  ranches  in 
southern  California.  He  's  been  their  super- 
intendent at  Socorro  Springs  for  two  years, 
and  he  's  put  the  ranch  in  better  shape  and 
made  it  pay  better,  in  spite  of  the  drought, 
than  anybody  else  they  Ve  had  since  their 
father  died." 

"  But  where  'd  he  come  from  before  Castle- 
ton  got  him  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  except  in  a  general  way.  I 
guess  he  's  mostly  run  along  with  the  cattle 
business  in  Colorado  and  California  and  New 
Mexico." 

'  You  really  think  his  opposition  to  me 
down  here  is  important  ?  " 

"  There  's  no  doubt  about  it,  Dell,"  Bancroft 
rejoined,  his  manner  becoming  more  earnest 
and  his  tones  more  persuasive  as  he  went  on. 
"  Curt  Conrad  is  a  fighter  from  the  word 
'go/  and  he  seems  to  have  started  out  with 
the  intention  of  doing  you  up.  He  '11  sure 
do  you  a  lot  of  damage  if  you  can't  find  some 
way  of  making  him  change  his  mind.  He  's 
popular,  —  the  sort  that  everybody  likes,  you 
know,  —  and  he 's  always  enthusiastic  and 


6o          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

cocksure,  so  that  he  has  a  good  deal  of 
influence  of  his  own,  whether  or  not  he's 
acting  for  Ned  Castleton.  And  as  people 
generally  believe  he  is  it  amounts  to  the 
same  thing." 

"  We  must  get  at  him  some  way,"  said 
Baxter  earnestly,  his  cold  eyes  watchful  of 
his  companion's  manner  and  expression. 
"  Has  n't  he  done  something  that  would  give 
us  a  hold  on  him?  " 

"  No,  there  's  nothing  in  that  lead.  I  Ve 
tried  argument,  and  you  might  as  well  talk 
to  a  cyclone." 

"  How  about  money  ?  " 

Bancroft  shook  his  head  decisively.  '  That 
would  be  the  worst  mistake  you  could  make. 
He  would  n't  touch  it  and  he  'd  roar  about  it 
everywhere.  The  fact  is,  Dell,  we  '11  have  to 
get  rid  of  his  opposition  some  way.  I  've 
done  everything  I  can,  and  now  I  '11  have  to 
put  it  up  to  you." 

"Well,  I'll  think  it  over,"  said  Baxter, 
rising  and  looking  at  his  watch.  "  I  '11  see 
you  again  about  that  mine  business,  while 
I  'm  here,  and  I  want  to  talk  with  you  about 
a  paisano  ranch,  up  above  Socorro,  there 's 
a  chance  of  our  getting.  I  think  we  '11  be 
able  to  get  our  development  company  going 


THE   POWERS   CONFER  61 

in  less  than  a  year.  When  it 's  organized, 
Aleck,  I  want  you  to  be  president  of  it." 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,"  Bancroft  re- 
plied slowly,  an  uneasy  recollection  of  some 
of  Lucy's  freely  expressed  ideas  coming  into 
his  mind.  "  I  may  prefer  to  stay  in  the  back- 
ground, as  a  silent  partner,  as  our  arrange- 
ment is  now." 

"  It  would  be  good  for  the  company  to  have 
you  at  its  head;  your  reputation  would  be 
an  asset,"  Baxter  objected  persuasively. 

"  By  the  way,  Dell,  did  you  foreclose  on 
a  man  named  Melgares,  Jose  Maria  Mel- 
gares,  a  month  or  two  ago  ?  " 

"Melgares?  Yes;  and  I  was  especially 
easy  on  him;  let  him  have  three  months' 
extra  time.  But  I  had  to  come  down  on 
him  finally.  Why?" 

"  He  's  here  in  Golden  now,  and  he  's  been 
roaring  about  it.  He  came  down  here  from 
the  Mogollons,  where  it 's  likely  he  'd  been 
doing  some  horse-stealing.  And  I  guess  he  's 
been  lifting  chickens  and  things  out  of  people's 
back-yards  since  he 's  been  here." 

"  Next  thing  he  '11  be  getting  arrested," 
Baxter  chuckled,  "  and  I  '11  have  to  defend 
him  —  for  nothing.  These  greasers  all  seem 
to  think  I  'm  a  heaven-sent  protector  for  'em 


62         THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

all,  no  matter  what  they  do.  So  long,  Aleck; 
I  '11  see  you  again  before  I  leave  town." 

Baxter  lounged  down  the  street,  greeting 
one  acquaintance  after  another  with  a  jovial 
laugh,  a  hearty  handshake,  or  a  slap  on  the 
shoulder,  his  round,  red  face  aglow  with  good 
fellowship.  But  his  gray  eyes  were  cold  and 
preoccupied.  At  the  court-house  door  he 
stopped  to  talk  with  Dan  Tillinghurst,  the 
sheriff,  and  Little  Jack  Wilder,  his  deputy. 

"  Say,  Jack,"  said  the  sheriff,  as  the  Con- 
gressman went  on  up  the  street,  "  what  sort 
o'  hell  do  you-all  reckon  Dell  Baxter  's  cookin' 
up  now  ?  He 's  too  jolly  not  to  have  somethin' 
on  hand.  The  louder  he  laughs  the  more  sul- 
phur you  can  bet  he 's  got  in  his  pockets." 

"  Be  careful,  Dan,"  warned  Jack,  "  or  that 
nomination  for  sheriff  will  miss  fire." 

"  Don't  you  worry  about  that  —  Dell  an' 
me 's  all  right;  you-all  just  worry  about  the 
fellow  that 's  made  his  eyes  look  like  a  dead 
fish's.  Dell 's  sure  got  somethin'  on  his 
mind." 

There  was  something  on  Baxter's  mind. 
He  was  still  wondering  why  Alexander  Ban- 
croft had  insisted  so  strongly  upon  the  im- 
portance of  young  Conrad's  opposition,  which 
the  Congressman  did  not  believe  was  of  much 


THE   POWERS   CONFER  63 

consequence.  He  chuckled  and  his  left  lid 
drooped  lower  as  he  finally  decided :  "  I  reckon 
he  wants  me  to  pull  some  chestnut  or  other 
out  of  the  fire  for  him.  I  '11  just  let  him  think 
I  'm  taking  it  all  in.  I  'd  like  to  know  what 
it  is,  though,  for  if  I  don't  keep  a  good  hold 
on  Aleck  he  's  likely  to  get  heady  and  try  to 
step  into  my  shoes/' 


CHAPTER   V 

CHASTISEMENT    CONDIGN 

DAN  TILLINGHURST  and  Little 
Jack  Wilder  sat  under  the  big  cotton- 
wood  in  front  of  the  court-house, 
commenting  upon  things  in  general,  and, 
presently,  more  particularly  upon  Curtis  Con- 
rad and  his  mare,  Brown  Betty,  when  they 
espied  him  talking  with  the  landlord  in  front 
of  the  hotel  across  the  stream.  The  town  of 
Golden  lay  in  a  gulch  among  the  foot-hills. 
It  had  been  a  thriving  silver  camp  in  the  older 
days.  Discovered  in  the  heyday  of  the  pale 
metal,  it  had  yielded  so  richly  that  the  men 
flocking  thither,  in  sheer,  exultant  contempt 
of  the  value  of  its  yellow  brother,  had  named 
the  camp  "  Golden  Gulch."  The  mines  had 
been  in  the  bottom  of  the  gulch,  and  near 
them,  along  the  banks  of  the  stream,  had 
been  built  all  the  houses  of  the  mining  days. 
The  earliest  roads  had  run  along  each  side 
of  the  water,  and  these  were  still  the  main 
streets  of  the  town.  Facing  one  another  across 


CHASTISEMENT  CONDIGN         65 

the  two  streets  and  the  bed  of  the  creek  were 
all  the  public  buildings  and  business  houses, 
the  two  hotels,  some  of  the  best  residences, 
and  many  of  the  poorer  ones.  The  Mexican 
quarter,  called  "  Doby  Town  "  by  the  Ameri- 
cans, straggled  along  these  thoroughfares  and 
up  the  hillsides  just  beyond  the  heart  of  the 
town.  Down  their  entire  length  cottonwoods 
of  notable  girth  and  majesty  spread  their 
branches. 

One  of  the  largest  and  finest  of  these  trees 
shaded  the  court-house  corner  where  the 
Sheriff  and  his  deputy  were  sprawling  their 
legs  and  waiting  for  something  to  happen. 
The  Sheriff  was  burly  and  broad-shouldered, 
although  his  legs  had  not  quite  been  able  to 
keep  pace  with  the  growing  massiveness  of 
his  torso.  The  occasions  were  rare  when 
his  blue  eyes  were  not  twinkling  with  good 
humor,  while  his  mouth  beneath  its  absurd 
little  moustache  curved  in  a  smile  as  habitual 
as  his  cheerful  kindliness  and  universal  op- 
timism. Little  Jack  Wilder,  who  owed  his 
descriptive  title  to  his  six  feet  three  of  height, 
was  slender  and  lithe.  He  wasted  neither 
words  in  talk  nor  bullets  in  pistol  fights,  and 
he  had  the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the 
best  shots  in  the  Southwest,  as  good  even  as 

5 


66          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

Emerson  Mead,  over  at  Las  Plumas  in  the 
adjoining  county. 

Curtis  Conrad  walked  across  the  bridge 
that  spanned  the  stream,  Brown  Betty  at  his 
heels,  and  met  their  "Hello,  Curt!"  with 
"Hello!  Anything  new?" 

"Yes,"  said  Wilder,  "anyway,  there's 
likely  to  be." 

"What  sort?" 

"That's  what  we'd  like  to  know,"  said 
Tillinghurst.  "Jack  's  been  sashaying  around 
Doby  Town  for  the  last  two  days  with  his 
eye  on  a  Mexican  horse  thief,  waitin'  for  him 
to  do  something  he  can  be  arrested  for;  and 
the  darn'  fool  won't  do  a  thing!  He  just 
sits  around  respectable  and  behaves  himself. 
Jack  's  gettin'  all  out  of  patience  with  him." 

Little  Jack  growled  a  corroborative  oath, 
and  took  a  chew  of  tobacco. 

"  Well,  if  you  know  he  's  a  horse  thief,  why 
don't  you  arrest  him?  "  asked  Conrad. 

"We  know  it  all  right,"  said  Jack;  "but 
he  ain't  lifted  no  critters  yet  in  this  county. 
He 's  been  doin'  some  chicken-thieving  and 
that  sort  o'  thing  around  town  the  last  week, 
but  we  ain't  goin'  to  arrest  him  for  that." 

Wilder  shut  his  jaws  with  a  determined 
snap,  while  Tillinghurst  went  on  to  explain 


CHASTISEMENT  CONDIGN         67 

in  answer  to  Conrad's  look  of  surprise :  "  If 
we  arrest  him  for  that  he  'd  be  taken  before 
a  justice  of  the  peace ;  and  you-all  know  what 
kind  of  a  mess  Diego  Vigil  would  make  of 
it.  He  'd  likely  fine  the  man  whose  chicken- 
coop  had  been  raided  because  he  did  n't  have 
more  stuff  in  his  back-yard  to  be  stolen,  and 
he  'd  discharge  Jose  Maria  Melgares  with  a 
warning  not  to  wake  people  up  o'  nights  by 
letting  the  chickens  squawk !  " 

The  Sheriff's  smile  broadened  and  ran  down 
his  throat  in  a  chuckle.  Little  Jack  Wilder 
burst  explosively  into  brief  and  profane  speech 
that  showed  his  opinion  of  Mexicans,  and  es- 
pecially of  Mexican  justices  of  the  peace,  to 
be  most  contemptuous. 

"  Then  why  do  you  give  them  the  office?  " 
Curtis  demanded.  "  Both  parties  do  it,  all 
over  the  Territory,  though  you  all  know  that 
every  time  they  get  a  chance  they  make  jus- 
tice look  like  a  bobtailed  horse.  Up  north 
last  week  one  of  'em  fined  a  man  five  dollars 
for  committing  murder  and  warned  him  not 
to  do  it  again  or  he  'd  have  to  make  it  ten 
next  time.  You  folks  all  knew  what  you 
might  expect  from  Vigil  when  you  gave  him 
the  place." 

"  Oh,  well,  Curt,  you-all  ain't  run  for  office 


68          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

yet.  When  you  do,  you  '11  appreciate  the  fact 
that  the  greasers  have  got  to  be  put  where 
they  '11  do  the  most  good.  I  'm  willin'  to  give 
'em  that  much,  and  I  'm  only  too  thankful  old 
Vigil  and  his  friends  don't  strike  for  the 
Sheriff's  place." 

Tillinghurst  chuckled,  while  Wilder  smiled 
grimly  and  profanely  reckoned  he  wouldn't 
serve  under  Vigil  or  any  other  Mexican. 
"  Mebbe  that  pock-marked  Melgares  has  been 
up  to  some  mischief  by  this  time,"  he  added. 
"  I  hain't  set  eyes  on  him  for  nigh  two  hours. 
Let 's  go  down  to  the  Blue  Front,  have  a 
drink,  and  find  out  if  anything 's  happened." 

They  went  down  the  street  together,  Brown 
Betty  following  with  the  bridle  over  her  neck. 
A  block  farther  down  stream,  a  good-looking 
Mexican  came  out  of  the  First  National  Bank 
and  passed  them.  The  Sheriff  turned  a  sec- 
ond keen  glance  upon  him.  "  That  looks  like 
Liberate  Herrara,"  he  said  to  his  deputy  in 
a  hasty  aside.  Raising  his  voice  he  accosted 
the  man  in  Spanish. 

The  Mexican  turned  and  replied  in  precise 
English  with  grave  courtesy,  "  Did  the  senor 
speak  to  me? " 

'  Yes ;   ain't  you  Liberate  Herrara  ?  " 

"  No,  senor.    My  name  is  Jose  Gonzalez." 


CHASTISEMENT  CONDIGN         69 

The  Sheriff  apologized,  and  the  other  bowed 
politely,  fell  behind,  and  crossed  to  the  other 
side  of  the  stream.  Conrad  asked  Tilling- 
hurst  if  he  did  not  believe  Herrara  guilty  of 
the  murder  of  which  he  had  been  acquitted 
several  months  before. 

"  Of  course  he  was.  And  it 's  likely  that 
ain't  the  only  one  either.  I  'm  glad  this  man 
ain't  him.  If  he  was  down  here  it  would  be 
on  some  business  for  Baxter,  and  it  would  n't 
do  for  me  to  find  out  too  much  about  it." 

Conrad  snorted  contemptuously,  and  Wilder 
said,  "  Dan,  you  're  talkin'  too  damn  much." 

"  Oh,  Curt 's  all  right,"  replied  the  Sheriff, 
placidly.  "  He  could  n't  hate  Baxter  any  more 
than  he  does  if  he  tried,  but  he  don't  go  back 
on  his  friends.  This  man  Melgares,"  he  went 
on,  "  that  we  're  hopin'  will  make  up  his  mind 
to  do  somethin'  worth  while,  tells  a  queer 
yarn.  He  says  he  used  to  have  a  good  ranch 
in  the  Rio  Grande  valley,  between  Socorro 
and  Albuquerque,  but  he  borrowed  money  on 
it  from  Baxter.  Of  course  he  could  n't  pay, 
Dell  foreclosed,  and  Melgares  had  to  get 
out." 

"  Yes ;  I  heard  the  other  day  about  Bax- 
ter's operations  up  there,"  Conrad  broke  in 
hotly.  "  I  understand  he 's  got  hold  of  a  lot 


7o          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

of  land  in  just  that  way.  It 's  a  cursed,  low- 
down,  dirty  piece  of  business." 

"  Oh,  well,  better  men  than  Baxter  have 
done  the  same  sort  of  thing,"  the  Sheriff  re- 
sponded. "  From  all  I  can  find  out  about 
Melgares  I  reckon  he  was  honest  enough  up 
to  that  time;  but  he's  been  goin'  it  pretty 
lively  ever  since.  I  think  he  's  aimin'  to  work 
down  to  the  border,  where  he  can  do  the  criss- 
cross act." 

Conrad  turned  with  an  exclamation  of 
sudden  remembrance.  "By  the  way!  Bill 
Williams  told  me  just  now  that  Rutherford 
Jenkins  is  here,  at  his  hotel.  Have  you  seen 
him?  Do  you  know  what  he  's  here  for?  " 

"  I  have  n't  talked  with  him,  but  I  reckon 
he  's  here  on  some  deal  for  Johnny  Martinez." 

Curtis  tied  the  mare  to  the  hitching-post 
on  the  corner.  "  I  've  heard,"  he  said  cau- 
tiously, "  that  he  has  a  venomous  tongue  and 
uses  it  recklessly.  Do  you  know  whether  he  's 
been  doing  any  outrageous  talking  lately?" 

"  Well,  I  reckon  nobody  would  believe  any- 
thing Jenkins  said,  anyway.  But  I  have  n't 
heard  anything.  Have  you,  Jack  ?  " 

Some  other  men  came  along,  and  they  all 
stopped  to  talk  together.  Curtis  leaned 
against  the  mare  and  stroked  her  glossy 


CHASTISEMENT  CONDIGN         71 

neck.  She  poked  her  nose  into  his  coat  pocket 
and  found  a  lump  of  sugar,  which  she  ate 
with  much  dainty  tossing  of  her  head.  It 
was  some  minutes  before  they  entered  the 
saloon. 

The  "  Blue  Front "  was  a  two-roomed 
shanty  on  the  edge  of  the  Mexican  quarter. 
Gambling  games  of  various  sorts  occupied 
the  back  room ;  and  there,  too,  political  deals 
were  arranged  and  votes  bargained  and  paid 
for  between  the  American  politicians  and  the 
leaders  of  the  Mexicans.  When  Conrad  and 
his  friends  came  down  the  street  a  number 
of  men  were  in  the  rear  room,  some  talking 
and  others  busy  at  cards.  At  a  table  near 
a  side  window  men  of  both  races  were  en- 
gaged in  a  poker  game.  One  of  the  players, 
a  pock-marked  Mexican  with  a  defective  eye, 
frequently  glanced  down  the  street.  When 
he  saw  the  Sheriff  and  his  two  companions 
approach,  he  rose  and  watched  them.  The 
others  wanted  to  know  what  he  was  looking 
at,  and  he  asked  who  was  the  man  with  the 
brown  mare.  A  tall,  dark  American,  with 
slightly  stooping  shoulders,  looked  up  with 
interest  as  he  heard  them  give  Conrad's  name, 
and  joined  the  group  at  the  window.  Sev- 
eral of  the  men  spoke  with  enthusiasm  about 


72          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

Brown  Betty,  and  one,  who  said  he  had  once 
worked  at  Socorro  Springs  ranch,  told  them 
that  Conrad  thought  more  of  her  than  of 
anything  else  he  owned.  When  the  men  in 
front  entered  the  saloon,  the  pock-marked 
Mexican  cashed  in  his  chips  and  slipped  out 
through  the  rear  door. 

The  sound  of  Conrad's  voice  in  the  bar- 
room caught  the  attention  of  the  tall,  dark 
American.  An  angry  flush  reddened  his  face, 
his  beady  eyes  snapped,  and  the  tip  of  his 
tongue  licked  his  lips.  Then  something  amus- 
ing seemed  to  occur  to  him,  for  his  features 
relaxed  into  a  smile  and  he  glanced  briskly 
around  the  room. 

"  See  if  you  can  find  Melgares,  will  you?  " 
he  asked  the  Mexican  with  whom  he  had  been 
talking.  "  Tell  him  I  '11  wait  for  him  outside 
the  back  door." 

He  stepped  out  into  the  bright  sunshine, 
smiling  and  rubbing  his  hands  together.  Back 
of  the  shanty  was  a  high  adobe  wall  sur- 
rounding the  corral  of  the  Mexican  houses 
fronting  on  the  next  street.  A  wooden  door 
in  the  wall  opened  cautiously,  and  the  pock- 
marked face  looked  out. 

'  You  sent  for  me,  Sefior  Jenkins  ?  "  the 
Mexican  asked. 


CHASTISEMENT  CONDIGN         73 

"Yes.  It's  all  right.  You  needn't  be 
afraid.  I  want  you  to  do  something,  Mel- 
gares." 

They  stepped  inside  the  corral  and  Mel- 
gares  bolted  the  door.  "  You  saw  Conrad's 
mare  just  now  ? "  Jenkins  began.  "  Fine 
creature,  isn't  she?" 

"  Splendid,  sefior.  The  finest  I  have  seen 
in  a  long  time." 

"  I  '11  warrant  it !  I  never  saw  a  better 
myself.  Looks  like  a  good  traveller,  does  n't 
she?" 

"  Si,  senor." 

"  And  a  stayer,  too,  I  guess !  It  would  n't 
be  hard  to  get  to  the  Mexican  border  on  her 
back,  would  it?  " 

Melgares  grinned,  then  shook  his  head. 
"  But  my  family  —  I  could  not  take  them 
with  me." 

;<  Well  —  see  here,  Melgares.  Here  's  fifty 
dollars.  If  you  '11  get  away  with  Conrad's 
mare  you  can  have  it  for  your  trouble.  It 
will  take  your  family  down  there  all  right." 

'  But  yon,  senor,  —  where  do  you  come 
in  ? "  He  looked  suspiciously  at  Jenkins. 

"  Oh,  never  mind  me.  Conrad  did  me  a 
bad  turn  a  while  ago,  and  I  'm  evening  up 
the  score.  That 's  all  I  want  out  of  it." 


74          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

"  But  now,  senor  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  now  's  your  chance.  He  's  in  the 
saloon,  and  the  mare 's  tied  at  the  cor- 
ner." 

"The  Sheriff  is  in  there,  too.  The  risk 
is  great." 

"  Well,  I  '11  go  in  and  keep  them  busy.  I  '11 
raise  excitement  enough  inside  so  that  nobody 
will  even  look  out  of  the  windows.  Get  out 
there  in  five  minutes,  be  quick  about  it,  and 
ride  off  down  the  valley  road." 

"  Give  me  the  money,  senor.  I  '11  take  the 
chance." 

Jenkins  returned,  and  entered  the  bar-room 
with  his  former  companion  without  attract- 
ing the  attention  of  Conrad  and  his  friends. 
The  other  spoke  of  the  report  about  the 
Castleton  money  and  mentioned  Curtis  Con- 
rad's name.  Jenkins  raised  his  voice  in  angry 
reply : 

"  Oh,  damn  Conrad !  Martinez  don't  want 
his  help!" 

Curtis  heard  the  words  and  turned  sharply 
around,  his  face  flushing.  Jenkins  appeared 
not  to  see  him,  and  went  on: 

'  The  Castletons  are  all  right,  but  Conrad's 
help  would  be  a  disgrace  to  any  party.  Mar- 
tinez don't  want  it !  "  His.voice  rang  loud  and 


CHASTISEMENT  CONDIGN         75 

shrill  above  the  silence  that  had  fallen  sud- 
denly upon  the  room. 

Curtis's  face  paled,  even  under  its  ruddy 
tan,  and  his  eyes  blazed.  With  head  up  he 
strode  forward.  '  Jenkins,"  he  said,  without 
raising  his  voice,  although  it  shook  with  a 
warning  tremor,  "  I  advise  you  to  be  careful. 
You  may  have  your  opinion  about  me,  as  I 
have  mine  about  you  —  and  you  know  what 
that  is.  But  don't  you  say  that  again,  nor 
anything  else  of  the  sort !  " 

Jenkins  turned  toward  him  with  an  ugly 
sneer.  Recollection  of  former  indignities  at 
Conrad's  tongue  and  hands  blazed  up  in  his 
heart  and  carried  him  farther  than  he  had 
meant  to  go.  With  an  oath  and  a  vile  name 
he  flung  his  glass  in  Conrad's  face.  In  an 
instant  the  young  man's  arms  were  around  his 
body.  The  others  crowded  in  and  tried  to 
stop  the  quarrel. 

"  Let  us  alone ! "  shouted  Curtis,  pushing 
his  way  toward  the  back  room.  "Wilder, 
take  his  gun,  will  you?  Get  mine  out  of 
my  pocket,  too.  This  won't  be  a  gun 
play." 

Tillinghurst  took  Conrad's  pistol,  and 
Wilder  succeeded  in  getting  Jenkins's  revol- 
ver, at  the  cost  of  a  kick  on  the  shin,  which 


76          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

he  repaid  in  kind.  With  Jenkins  almost  help- 
less in  his  grasp,  Curtis  struggled  into  the 
rear  room.  The  others  were  all  crowding 
after  him.  He  turned  back  a  face  still  pale 
and  set  with  anger,  although  a  twinkle  of 
amusement  was  creeping  into  his  eyes. 

"  Dan,"  he  called,  "  shut  that  door  and  keep 
out  the  crowd !  " 

Instantly  there  were  cries  of  disapproval. 

"  Fair  play !  "  "  You  're  bigger  than  him !  " 
"  We  want  to  see  it 's  on  the  square !  " 

Curtis  scowled.  "  If  any  of  you  think  it 
won't  be  on  the  square,  just  wait  for  me  till 
I  get  through  with  him,"  he  shouted. 

The  Sheriff  slammed  the  door,  and  set  his 
bulk  against  it,  saying  with  smiling  cheerful- 
ness :  "  Well,  gentlemen,  I  reckon  Mr.  Jen- 
kins won't  get  any  more  than  is  comin'  to  him, 
and  as  Sheriff  I  call  on  all  of  you  to  keep 
the  peace  and  not  interfere." 

Alone  in  the  back  room  with  his  prisoner, 
Conrad  dropped  into  a  chair,  dragged  the 
other  over  his  knees,  face  downward,  then 
threw  out  one  sinewy  leg  and  caught  under 
it  Jenkins's  two  unruly  limbs.  Still  keeping 
a  firm  grip  with  his  left  arm,  he  raised  his 
right  hand. 

"  Now,"  he  said  grimly,  "  you  're  going  to 


CHASTISEMENT  CONDIGN         77 

get  the  sort  of  spanking  your  mother  did  n't 
give  you  enough  of." 

One  after  another  the  resounding  smacks 
came  down,  while  Jenkins,  his  strength  spent 
in  futile  struggle,  could  do  nothing  but  writhe 
helplessly  under  the  smarting  blows.  The 
sound  of  them  penetrated  to  the  front  room. 
As  the  men  there  realized  what  was  happen- 
ing they  broke  into  laughter  so  uproarious 
that  it  smote  upon  Jenkins's  ears  and  forced 
a  hysterical  shriek  from  between  his  gritted 
teeth.  In  Conrad's  heart  it  inspired  compas- 
sion and  he  desisted. 

"  I  guess  that  '11  do  for  this  time,"  he  said, 
releasing  his  hold  and  standing  the  culprit 
on  his  feet.  "  I  don't  want  to  have  to  hurt 
you,  but  let  me  tell  you,  you  damned  skunk," 
and  he  seized  Jenkins's  shoulders  and  gave 
him  a  vigorous  shake,  "  if  you  ever  dare  talk 
about  me  again  in  that  way,  or  tell  another 
human  being  what  you  told  me  about  Ban- 
croft, I  '11  make  you  wish  you  'd  never  been 
born." 

With  a  parting  shake  he  let  Jenkins  fall 
back  into  the  chair,  sobbing  aloud.  Then  he 
stalked  to  the  door,  not  even  doing  his  enemy 
the  slight  honor  of  going  out  backward. 


CHAPTER  VI 

A   STERN    CHASE 

A"  the  shout  which  greeted  Conrad's  en- 
trance died  away  the  Sheriff  called 
out,  "  Now,  gentlemen,  you  must  all 
have  one  with  me,"  and  every  one  lined  up 
at  the  bar.  A  rollicking  din  of  chaff  and 
laughter  filled  the  room,  and  no  one  except 
Little  Jack  Wilder  noticed  the  entrance  of  a 
Mexican  at  the  street  door.  He  heard  the 
step,  turned  quickly,  and  recognized  the  man 
who  had  told  Tillinghurst  that  he  was  not 
Liberate  Herrara.  Glancing  along  the  line 
of  backs  at  the  bar,  the  Mexican  singled  out 
Conrad  and  touched  his  arm. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  sefior,  but  did  you  send 
some  one  to  ride  your  mare  ?  " 

'  To  ride  my  mare  ?  No ;  what  do  you 
mean  ?  " 

Before  he  could  answer  Wilder  sprang  for- 
ward demanding,  "Is  she  gone?"  and  Con- 
rad started  for  the  door. 

"  A  man  has  just  ridden  her  away  on  the 


A  STERN  CHASE  79 

run,"  the  Mexican  said  excitedly,  and  every 
one  in  the  room  rushed  for  the  street. 

"  She  's  gone !  "  shouted  Conrad. 

"Did  you  see  him?  What  was  he  like?" 
demanded  the  Sheriff. 

"  A  pock-marked  greaser  with  a  bad  eye?  " 
yelled  Wilder,  towering  threateningly  above 
the  bearer  of  the  news. 

Gonzalez  threw  back  his  head,  folded  his 
arms  across  his  breast,  and  answered  delib- 
erately, "  He  was  a  Mexican,  senor,  he  was 
pock-marked,  and  he  was  blind  in  one  eye." 

"Melgares!  He's  done  it  at  last! 
Hooray !  "  shouted  Wilder. 

Far  down  the  street,  beyond  the  last  cot- 
tonwood,  against  the  gray,  sunflooded  road, 
they  could  see  a  dark  object,  distorted  by  the 
heat  haze,  but  still  showing  the  form  of  a 
man  on  a  galloping  horse. 

Tillinghurst's  smile  became  an  eager  grin 
as  he  started  up  the  street  on  a  run.  ''  Every- 
body come  that  wants  to,"  he  called  over  his 
shoulder.  Wilder  and  Conrad  were  already 
half  a  block  ahead  of  him,  and  several  others 
quickly  followed. 

When  they  presently  came  pelting  back, 
their  horses  at  top  speed,  a  crowd  of  men 
still  stood  on  the  sidewalk,  where  the  Blue 


8o          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

Front  made  a  splash  of  brilliant  color  against 
the  sombre  grays  and  browns  of  the  surround- 
ing adobes.  Wilder's  tall,  thin  figure  was  in 
the  lead,  bending  forward  in  the  saddle  like 
a  sapling  in  a  gale,  the  wide,  limp  brim  of 
his  sombrero  flapping  in  the  wind.  Conrad 
and  Tillinghurst  were  pressing  him  close,  and 
half  a  dozen  others  were  pounding  along  be- 
hind these  three,  while  a  stout  man,  who  rode 
awkwardly,  trailed  along  in  the  rear. 

The  crowd  at  the  Blue  Front  shouted  en- 
couragingly as  they  clattered  past,  and  made 
bets  on  the  chances  of  catching  the  fugitive. 
The  Mexican,  Gonzalez,  watched  Conrad 
closely  as  he  sped  by,  and  said  carelessly  to 
the  man  beside  him,  "  Senor  Conrad  is  a  good 
rider,  the  best  of  them  all.  I  hope  he  will 
get  back  his  fine  mare." 

The  horsemen  swept  down  the  street  past 
the  last  straggling  houses,  and  out  into  the 
open  plain.  Fleeing  down  the  road,  perhaps 
two  miles  ahead  of  them,  galloped  the  Mexi- 
can. Tillinghurst  measured  the  distance  with 
a  careful  eye,  and  said  to  Conrad,  "  He 's 
our  meat.  We  can  get  him  easy."  He  glanced 
backward,  chuckled,  then  turned  in  his  saddle, 
and  called  loudly,  "  Come  along  there,  Pendy ! 
Don't  get  discouraged !  " 


A  STERN  CHASE  81 

Another  of  the  party  turned  his  head  and 
yelled,  "  You  're  all  right,  Pendy !  You  '11  get 
there  before  Dan  does !  " 

The  stout  man  who  brought  up  the  rear 
had  made  sure  of  his  gray  slouch  hat  by  tying 
it  on  with  a  red  bandanna  handkerchief.  He 
was  gripping  his  bridle  with  both  hands  and 
bouncing  in  his  saddle  like  a  bag  of  meal. 
"  Don't  you  worry  about  me !  "  he  yelled  back 
good-naturedly;  "you  can't  lose  me  if  you 
try." 

'Who  is  he?"  asked  Curtis. 

"Pendy?  Oh,  he's  a  tenderfoot.  Blew 
in  from  the  East  two  or  three  weeks  ago. 
Somethin'  wrong  with  his  bellows  —  or  likely 
to  be,  though  you-all  would  n't  think  it,  con- 
siderin'  his  fat.  He 's  grit  clear  through, 
though !  Just  look  at  the  way  he  rides !  " 

Conrad  glanced  back,  laughed,  and  replied, 
"  Oh,  it  '11  be  good  for  his  liver!  "  Then  he 
went  on  seriously,  "  Dan,  do  you  think  there  's 
any  truth  in  the  story  that  this  man  Mel- 
gares  began  horse-stealing  because  Dell  Bax- 
ter did  him  out  of  his  ranch?" 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know !  Baxter  got  his  ranch 
all  right,  but  the  greaser  did  n't  have  to  go 
to  stealin'  horses  on  that  account.  Chickens 
are  safer;  and  chilis  don't  even  squawk.  I 

6 


82          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

reckon  likely  he  steals  horses  because  he  'd 
ruther." 

"Well,  anyway,  Dan,  all  I  want  out  of 
this  is  to  get  Brown  Betty  back.  I  shall 
not  make  any  complaint  against  him.  So, 
if  he  gives  up  the  mare,  I  'd  rather  you  let 
him  go." 

"  Huh,"  grunted  the  Sheriff,  with  an  ap- 
prehensive glance  at  Wilder,  a  full  length 
ahead.  "  For  God's  sake,  Curt,  don't  let  Jack 
hear  you  say  that!  He'd  be  so  disgusted 
he'd  turn  tail  and  go  straight  back  to 
Golden!" 

The  fugitive  kept  his  distance  well;  it 
seemed  to  Conrad's  eye  that  he  even  gained 
a  little.  Now  and  again  they  could  see  him 
look  back,  and  with  spur  and  quirt  urge  the 
mare  to  a  fresh  burst  of  speed. 

"  Brown  Betty 's  a  stayer,"  said  Curtis, 
bringing  his  horse  beside  Tillinghurst's  again, 
"  and  she 's  fast.  I  don't  believe  we  '11  catch 
him  unless  something  happens  to  her." 

The  Sheriff  turned  a  smiling  face  and  said 
confidently,  "  If  we  get  a  little  nearer  I  reckon 
somethin'  's  likely  to  happen  to  him.  Hello, 
Pendleton !  "  he  exclaimed  as  the  stout  man 
came  up  on  the  other  side.  "  That  noble  steed 
of  yours  is  sure  gettin'  a  gait  on  him,  ain't 


A  STERN  CHASE  83 

he?  If  you-all  don't  wait  for  the  rest  of  us 
there  '11  be  trouble,  I  'm  tellin'  you !  " 

"  Say,  Sheriff,"  called  Pendleton  between 
his  gasps  and  grunts  as  he  bounced  up  and 
down,  "  are  you  going  to  keep  up  this  pace 
all  day?" 

Tillinghurst  eyed  him  benignly.  "  As  long 
as  he  does,"  he  said,  nodding  toward  the 
fleeing  spot  of  black  down  the  road.  "  Say, 
Pendy,"  he  went  on  in  a  kindly  tone,  "  it 's 
a  pretty  stiff  gait  for  you-all,  and  unless 
you  're  anxious  to  take  your  meals  standin' 
for  the  next  month  you  'd  better  drop  out 
and  go  back.  It 's  likely  to  be  an  all-day 
job." 

"  Not  much !  You  can't  lose  me  till  the 
fun  's  over !  " 

"Hooray  for  Pendy!  He's  all  right!" 
yelled  a  man  behind,  giving  Pendleton's  horse 
a  sharp  cut  across  the  flank  with  his  whip. 
The  beast  jumped,  and  its  rider  lurched  to 
one  side,  fell  forward,  and  saved  himself  by 
grabbing  the  mane  with  both  hands.  The 
men  shouted  with  merriment  as  Pendleton 
righted  himself,  turned  a  laughing  face  and 
shook  his  fist  at  the  man  who  had  played  the 
joke  on  him.  '  Just  wait  till  I  get  you  where 
I  want  you,  Jack  Gaines,"  he  called,  "  and 


84          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

you  '11  be  sorry  you  ever  played  tricks  on  a 
tenderfoot." 

The  gulch  spread  out  into  a  wide,  shallow 
valley  —  a  draw,  they  called  it  —  and  the 
waters  of  the  stream  disappeared,  sucked  up 
by  the  thirsty  earth.  The  valley  curved  to 
the  east,  the  road  climbing  over  its  rim  and 
holding  straight  toward  the  south.  The 
figure  of  Melgares,  mounted  on  Brown 
Betty  as  on  a  pedestal,  stood  out  boldly  for 
a  moment  against  the  turquoise  sky  as  he 
crossed  the  summit,  then  sank  out  of  sight 
beyond  the  hill.  The  party  galloped  on, 
and  as  they  crossed  the  ridge  and  saw  him 
on  the  top  of  a  smaller  hill  beyond,  Con- 
rad's eye  swept  the  distance  lying  between 
and  he  exclaimed,  '''  We  Ve  gained  on 
him!" 

At  the  same  moment  Little  Jack  Wilder, 
who  had  been  watching  the  road  intently, 
shouted  joyously,  the  first  words  he  had 
spoken  since  leaving  the  town,  "  She  's  cast 
a  shoe !  Now  it 's  a  cinch !  " 

Tillinghurst  turned  his  head  and  shouted, 
"  Get  your  gun  ready,  Pendy !  your  chance 


is  cominV 


Jack  Gaines,  riding  neck  and  neck  with 
the  Sheriff,  looked  back  and  yelled,  "  Come 


A  STERN  CHASE  85 

a-runnin',  Pendy !    The  greaser  can't  wait  for 
you  all  day !  " 

They  were  gaining  rapidly  on  Melgares 
and,  as  they  swept  over  the  top  of  a  little 
hill  and  saw  him  cross  the  next  low  rise, 
Conrad  exclaimed,  "  She 's  limping,  damn 
him !  If  he  hurts  Brown  Betty —  " 

"  You  won't  mind  so  much  if  we  hurt  him," 
quietly  put  in  the  Sheriff,  who  was  riding  on 
his  lee.  Curtis  spurred  his  horse  to  Wilder's 
stirrup. 

"  Jack,"  he  said,  "  I  don't  want  the  fellow 
hurt.  If  he  '11  give  up  my  mare  I  'm  willing 
to  let  him  go." 

Little  Jack  grunted  contemptuously  with- 
out replying. 

"  I  want  you  to  understand,"  Conrad  went 
on,  "  that  if  you  take  him  I  shall  make  no 
complaint  against  him,  provided  I  get  Betty 
unhurt." 

'  You  don't  have  to  make  no  complaint," 
Jack  growled;  "  I  '11  do  that  myself." 

They  gained  steadily  on  the  fugitive,  and 
presently  Curtis  curved  his  hands  about  his 
mouth  and  called,  "  Betty !  Betty  B !  "  They 
could  see  the  mare  check  her  speed,  and  the 
faint  sound  of  her  whinny  reached  their  ears. 
Conrad  called  again;  and  the  mare  wheeled 


86          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

in  her  tracks.  The  Mexican  jerked  her  back, 
lashed  her  furiously,  and  set  her  forward 
again  at  a  gallop.  Curtis  called  again  and 
again,  and  every  time  they  could  see  Mel- 
gares  using  whip  and  spur  to  force  her  on. 
But  presently  the  mare  dropped  tail  and  head, 
arched  her  back,  and,  stiff-legged,  began  to 
jump  up  and  down. 

Conrad  laughed  joyously  and  slapped  his 
thigh.  "  Bully  for  Betty  B !  I  never  knew 
her  to  buck  before." 

They  urged  on  their  horses  and  pounded 
down  the  hill  toward  the  small  circus  Brown 
Betty  was  making  of  herself.  She  cavorted, 
shook  herself,  humped  her  back,  jumped  up 
and  down,  stood  on  her  front  feet  and  almost 
sat  on  her  tail,  and  did  everything  that  equine 
intelligence  could  devise  to  rid  herself  of  the 
masterful  hand  on  her  bridle.  But  the  Mexi- 
can kept  his  seat  and  his  grip  upon  the  rein. 
With  spur  and  quirt  and  compelling  voice 
he  finally  forced  her  into  submission.  As  she 
quieted  down  they  were  facing  the  pursuing 
posse  and  Melgares  had  just  turned  the  mare's 
head  in  another  desperate  attempt  at  escape 
when  Conrad's  voice  rang  out  once  more,  and 
Brown  Betty  refused  to  move.  She  tossed 
her  head,  laid  back  her  ears,  and  whinnied, 


A  STERN  CHASE  87 

but  would  not  lift  a  hoof.  The  Mexican  drew 
his  revolver  and  shouted,  "  Stop !  " 

The  horsemen,  not  more  than  a  hundred 
yards  distant,  drew  rein  at  the  word  —  all 
except  Pendleton,  who  came  pounding  and 
bouncing  to  the  front,  his  horse  still  on  the 
gallop.  Gaines,  just  behind  Tillinghurst  and 
Wilder,  called  out  laughingly,  "  Hooray  for 
Pendy !  Go  on  and  get  him,  Pendy !  " 

Pendleton  had  been  too  much  occupied  with 
keeping  his  seat  to  try  to  stop  his  horse,  and 
as  it  went  on  half  a  length  in  advance  of  the 
rest  Gaines  leaned  forward  and  gave  it  a  cut 
across  the  flank  with  his  quirt.  It  leaped  for- 
ward smartly  and  Pendleton,  taken  unawares 
again,  bobbed  down  on  its  neck  and  grabbed 
for  its  mane.  Melgares  saw  the  horse  start 
forward  and  instantly  his  revolver  flashed. 
The  bullet  left  a  singed  streak  across  the  back 
of  Pendleton's  coat,  whistled  on,  and  found 
refuge  in  Gaines's  side. 

Wilder's  gun  was  out  and  cocked.  He  saw 
Pendleton  lying  on  his  horse's  neck,  and  heard 
Gaines  cry  out,  "  I  'm  hit !  "  as  he  fell  for- 
ward across  his  pommel.  "  Stop  that ! " 
he  called.  "  Fire  again  and  you  're  a  dead 
man!" 

Melgares  leaped  from  the  mare's  back  and 


88          THE   DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

ran  at  full  speed  down  the  valley,  away  from 
the  road.  Brown  Betty  came  trotting  to  Con- 
rad's side,  whinnying  joyfully.  Pendleton  sat 
upright,  calling  out,  "  Say,  fellows,  is  there 
any  blood  on  my  back  ?  "  They  told  him  no 
and  as  he  climbed  down  from  his  saddle 
clumsily  he  grinned  and  said: 

"  Well,  I  can  still  die  of  consumption, 
then!" 

Tillinghurst,  Wilder,  and  several  of  the 
others  were  galloping  after  Melgares,  who 
was  running  for  his  life  down  the  valley 
toward  a  clump  of  cactus  and  juniper. 

"Wing  him,  Jack!"  called  the  Sheriff. 
"  There  's  a  crack  in  the  ground  down  there 
where  he  can  hide  and  pick  us  off  as  he 
pleases." 

Little  Jack  brought  his  horse  to  a  sudden 
stop,  aimed  low,  and  the  Mexican  reeled  and 
fell,  the  blood  gushing  from  a  wound  in  the 
calf  of  his  leg.  He  scrambled  to  his  feet, 
and  fired  his  second  shot.  The  bullet  nicked 
the  brim  of  the  Sheriff's  hat.  There  was 
another  flash,  and  Wilder  heard  the  bullet  sing 
past  his  ear. 

"  Stop  it,  you  damned  greaser !  "  he  yelled, 
"  or  I  '11  let  daylight  through  your  head."  In 
quick  succession  he  put  two  holes  through  the 


A  STERN  CHASE  89 

Mexican's  sombrero.  '  The  next  one  is  for 
your  other  eye ! "  he  called,  and  Melgares 
dropped  his  weapon. 

Wilder  leaped  to  the  ground  and  ran  toward 
him.  He  glanced  at  the  group  of  horsemen, 
each  with  revolver  drawn,  and  at  Wilder  com- 
ing with  his  gun  at  cock,  then  threw  back  his 
head  with  his  own  pistol  at  his  temple.  Little 
Jack  grabbed  his  arm,  but  Melgares  fought 
desperately.  The  others  came  running  to 
Wilder's  assistance,  and  it  was  not  until  they 
had  taken  his  revolver,  put  handcuffs  upon 
him,  and  taken  from  his  clothing  another 
pistol,  a  knife,  and  a  belt  full  of  cartridges, 
that  he  gave  up  his  struggles. 

They  put  him  on  the  horse  that  Conrad 
had  ridden,  with  his  feet  tied  under  its  belly. 
Tillinghurst  and  Wilder,  revolvers  in  hand, 
rode  on  either  side  of  him.  Conrad,  mounted 
on  his  own  mare,  and  another  were  side  by 
side  with  Jack  Gaines  laid  across  their  laps. 
Two  more  went  on  at  a  gallop  to  bring  out 
a  doctor  and  a  carriage  for  the  wounded  man. 
The  rest  rode  slowly  back  through  the  hot 
sunlight  and  the  high  wind,  guarding  their 
captive  and  carrying  his  victim. 


CHAPTER   VII 

TALK   OF    MANY   THINGS 

GOLDEN  prided  itself  upon  being  "  the 
most  American  town  in  the  Terri- 
tory," but  for  all  its  energy  and  pro- 
gressiveness  it  had  not  developed  an  ordinary 
regard  for  its  own  safety.  After  the  mines 
which  had  given  it  birth  had  been  worked 
out,  it  became  the  depot  of  supplies  for  the 
widespread  miles  of  cattle  country  in  the 
plains  below,  the  mining  regions  in  the  moun- 
tains above,  and  the  ranches  scattered  along 
the  streams  within  a  radius  of  fifty  miles.  As 
its  importance  increased  a  railway  sought  it 
out,  the  honor  of  being  the  county  seat  came 
to  it,  and  the  ruthless  Anglo-Saxon  arrived 
in  such  numbers  and  so  energetically  that 
its  few  contented  and  improvident  Mexicans, 
thrust  to  one  side,  sank  into  hopeless  nonen- 
tity. When  Lucy  Bancroft  first  set  upon  it 
the  pleased  eyes  of  youthful  interest  and  filial 
affection,  it  was  a  busy,  prosperous  place  of 
several  thousand  souls. 


TALK  OF  MANY  THINGS         91 

But  it  still  clung  to  the  gulch  wherein  had 
been  the  beginning  of  its  life  and  fortune. 
All  the  houses  of  its  infancy  had  been  built 
along  the  stream  that  sparkled  down  from 
the  mountains,  and  there  the  town  had  tried 
to  stay,  regardless  of  the  floods  that  occa- 
sionally swept  down  the  canyon  during  the 
Summer  rains.  At  first  its  growth  had  been 
up  and  down  the  creek;  afterward  cross 
streets  had  been  extended  far  out  on  either 
side,  especially  where  gradual  hill  slopes  gave 
easy  grades,  and  roads  had  also  been  made 
lengthwise  along  the  hillsides  and  even  on 
their  crests,  where  now  a  goodly  number  of 
homes  looked  out  over  the  plains  and  down 
upon  the  town-filled  valley  at  their  feet. 

Newcomers  gazed  curiously  at  the  high 
sidewalks,  raised  on  posts  above  the  level  of 
the  thoroughfares,  asking  why,  if  there  was 
such  possibility  of  flood,  the  people  continued 
to  live  and  do  business  along  the  bottom  of 
the  gulch.  The  residents  thought  the  walled 
sidewalks  rather  a  good  joke,  a  humorous  dis- 
tinction, and  laughed  at  the  idea  of  danger. 

Lucy  Bancroft's  eyes  grew  wide  and  solemn 
as  she  listened  to  the  tale  Dan  Tillinghurst 
told  her  of  the  first  year  he  was  in  Golden, 
years  before,  when  a  mighty  torrent  roared 


92          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

down  the  gulch,  carried  away  most  of  the 
houses,  and  drowned  a  dozen  souls.  "  But 
the  very  next  day,"  he  added  proudly,  "  the 
people  began  rebuildin'  their  houses  on  the 
identical  sites  from  which  they  had  been 
swept." 

"Why  didn't  they  rebuild  on  higher 
ground?"  Lucy  asked.  "And  aren't  you 
afraid  there  will  be  another  flood  that  will 
destroy  all  these  houses  and  perhaps  kill  a 
great  many  people  ?  " 

"  Oh,  there  's  no  danger  now,"  he  assured 
her  confidently.  "  The  climate  's  changin'. 
There 's  not  nearly  so  much  rain  as  there 
used  to  be.  The  creek  is  dry  half  the  time 
nowadays,  and  in  my  first  years  here  it  never 
went  dry  at  all.  Just  look  at  these  flood- 
marks,"  and  he  pointed  out  to  her  on  the  side 
of  the  brick  building  that  housed  her  father's 
bank  the  lines  to  which  had  risen  the  high 
waters  of  each  Summer.  She  saw  that  those 
of  recent  years  were  all  very  low.  "  Yes," 
he  assured  her,  "  the  climate 's  changin', 
there's  no  doubt  of  that.  There  won't  be 
any  more  floods." 

Between  Lucy  and  the  Sheriff  a  mutual 
admiration  and  goodfellowship  had  arisen, 
such  as  might  exist  between  an  elephant  and 


TALK  OF  MANY  THINGS          93 

a  robin.  The  day  after  her  arrival  Tilling- 
hurst  had  told  Bancroft  that  his*  daughter 
was  "  the  prettiest  piece  of  dry  goods  that 
had  ever  come  to  Golden,  and  if  he  ever  let 
her  pull  her  freight  he  'd  sure  deserve  nothin' 
less  than  tarrin'  and  featherin'  at  the  hands 
of  an  outraged  community." 

Notwithstanding  her  confidence  in  the  big 
Sheriff,  Lucy  did  not  like  the  idea  of  living 
in  the  gulch,  and  persuaded  her  father  to 
build  their  home  on  the  brow  of  the  mesa 
overlooking  the  town  from  the  west.  She 
had  no  definite  fear  of  the  floods  nor,  after  her 
first  few  weeks  in  the  place,  did  she  so  much 
as  think  of  danger  from  such  a  source.  She 
liked  the  site  on  the  mesa,  although  it  was 
new  and  raw  and  treeless,  because  it  com- 
manded a  far-reaching  view,  to  the  moun- 
tains on  the  west  and  north  and,  in  front, 
across  the  town  and  the  valley  to  the  wide 
gray  level  of  the  plains. 

She  sat  on  the  veranda  of  her  new  home 
with  Miss  Louise  Dent,  telling  her  friend 
what  pleasure  she  was  taking  in  its  arrange- 
ment and  direction.  "  At  first  daddy  did  n't 
want  me  to  do  it.  He  thought  it  would  be 
too  much  care  and  responsibility  for  me,  and 
that  we  'd  better  board.  But  I  said  if  a  girl 


94          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

eighteen  years  old  was  n't  old  enough  and  big 
enough  to  begin  to  take  care  of  her  father 
she  never  would  be,  and  so  he  gave  up. 
And  now !  Well,  you  '11  see  how  he  enjoys 
our  home!  He  just  beams  with  happiness 
every  time  he  comes  into  the  house.  And 
I  'm  perfectly  happy.  Daddy  is  so  good,  and 
it 's  such  a  pleasure  to  make  things  nice  and 
comfortable  for  him !  " 

"  I  'm  so  glad,"  Miss  Dent  replied,  "  that 
you  are  happy  here  with  him.  He  has  had 
so  many  years  of  lonely  wandering.  And  I 
know  that  he  has  long  been  looking  forward 
to  the  time  when  you  and  he  could  have  a 
home  together.  Your  father  has  n't  had  an 
easy  life,  dear.  You  could  never  guess  all 
that  he  has  been  through.  But  he  is  a  strong 
and  determined  man,  and  he 's  finally  won 
success  —  just  as  I  always  knew  he  would. 
That 's  what  I  admire  in  him  so  much  —  that 
he  never  would  give  up."  She  stopped,  a 
faint  flush  mounting  to  her  brow.  Lucy 
threw  both  arms  around  her  neck  and  kissed 
her. 

"  Of  course,  Dearie,"  she  exclaimed,  "  you 
must  appreciate  my  father,  for  you  Ve  known 
him  so  long;  but  it  makes  me  love  you  all 
the  more  to  hear  you  say  so  —  and  oh,  Dearie, 


TALK  OF   MANY  THINGS          95 

I  'm  going  to  make  such  a  beautiful  home  out 
of  this  place !  "  Lucy  looked  about,  her  girl- 
ish face  glowing  with  proud  and  pleased  pro- 
prietorship. "  I  know  how  new  and  barren 
it  looks  now,  but  just  wait  till  I  Ve  been  at 
work  at  it  for  a  year ! " 

She  went  on  to  speak  of  her  plans,  asking 
Miss  Dent's  advice.  In  the  back-yard  the 
gaunt  wings  of  a  big  windmill  gave  a  touch 
of  ultra  modern  picturesqueness  and  prom- 
ised the  fulfilment  of  the  girl's  hope  of  a 
lawn  and  flowers,  trees  and  shrubbery,  in 
the  near  future.  A  little  conservatory  jutted 
from  the  southern  side  of  the  house,  while 
a  deep  veranda  ran  halfway  across  the  eastern 
front  and  around  the  other  two  sides.  The 
neutral,  gray-green  color  of  the  structure 
melted  into  the  hue  of  the  hills  and  the  sur- 
rounding mesa,  leaving  its  barren  newness 
less  aggressive. 

As  they  talked  Lucy  now  and  then  cast  a 
lingering  glance  down  the  street  that  climbed 
the  hill  from  the  town  below,  and  Miss  Dent 
thought  that  sometimes  a  shade  of  disap- 
pointment dimmed  the  bright  face  for  an  in- 
stant. She  was  twenty  years  Lucy's  senior, 
although  both  looks  and  manner  gave  the  lie 
to  the  fact.  The  loving  friendship  between 


96          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

them  was  one  of  those  unusual  ties  between  a 
younger  and  an  older  woman  which,  when 
they  do  occur,  are  apt  to  be  marked  by  an 
overflowing  measure  of  enthusiasm  and  loy- 
alty. Louise  Dent  had  been  the  intimate 
friend  of  Lucy's  mother  and,  after  her  death, 
had  given  the  bereaved  girl  such  love  and 
care  and  sympathy  as  had  won  her  instant 
and  ardent  devotion,  and  the  relationship  thus 
established  had  grown  stronger  and  closer  as 
the  years  passed  and  Lucy  matured  into 
womanhood.  The  girl's  enthusiastic  affec- 
tion had  enabled  her  to  find  in  Louise  Dent 
intimate  friend,  elder  sister,  and  mother  com- 
bined. This  complicated  feeling  making  it 
impossible  for  her  to  address  the  elder  woman 
by  either  formal  title  or  first  name,  she  had 
soon  settled  upon  "  Dearie "  as  a  substan- 
tive term  expressing  their  relationship,  and 
"  Dearie  "  Miss  Dent  had  been  to  her  ever 
since,  whether  between  themselves  or  among 
her  own  intimate  friends. 

As  the  shadows  grew  longer  and  the  hot 
white  sunlight  became  less  vivid,  Lucy  seemed 
to  grow  restless.  She  rose  and  moved  about 
the  veranda,  or  ran  down  into  the  yard  and 
back  upon  some  trivial  errand,  each  time 
stopping  on  the  steps  to  send  an  inquiring 


TALK  OF  MANY  THINGS          97 

eye  down  the  street.  Standing  there,  when 
the  afternoon  was  far  spent  and  the  fierce 
westerly  wind  had  ebbed  into  a  gentle  breeze, 
she  pointed  out  to  Louise  the  statuesque 
sapphire  mass  of  Mangan's  Peak  against  the 
turquoise  blue  of  the  eastern  sky,  and  told 
her  of  the  drive  thither  and  back  she  and  her 
father  had  taken  a  fortnight  before,  and  of 
their  call  at  Socorro  Springs  ranch.  "  It 's 
an  interesting  place,"  she  went  on ;  "  such  a 
huge  ranch !  Why,  its  grazing  rights  extend 
more  than  a  hundred  miles  south,  away  across 
the  Mexican  border.  Father  knows  the  super- 
intendent very  well,  and  we  '11  get  him  to 
drive  us  out  there  some  day."  A  higher  color 
rose  in  her  cheeks ;  she  quickly  turned  away, 
drew  her  chair  well  back,  and  sat  down. 
'  There 's  Mr.  Conrad,  the  superintendent, 
coming  up  the  hill  now ! "  she  exclaimed. 
"  Daddy  told  me  at  luncheon  that  he  was  in 
town." 

Lucy  bore  her  new  role  of  hostess  with  a 
dignity  so  easy  and  gracious  that  it  surprised 
Louise,  and  made  Conrad  think  her  more  at- 
tractive than  ever.  Bancroft  came  a  little 
later,  and  Curtis  was  urged  to  stay  to  dinner. 
Lucy  showed  him  in  her  conservatory  the  col- 
lection of  cactus  plants  she  had  begun  to 


98          THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

make  and  listened  with  eager  interest  while 
he  gave  her  information  about  the  growth  of 
the  species  she  already  had,  and  told  her 
where  she  could  find  others  less  common.  She 
was  anxious  to  have  his  opinion  whether  it 
would  be  possible  to  make  a  hedge  of  mes- 
quite  to  replace  the  wooden  paling  around  the 
yard;  he  did  not  know,  but  offered  to  help 
her  try  the  experiment. 

They  dined  on  the  side  veranda,  where 
Lucy,  with  the  help  of  a  screen  or  two  and 
some  plants  from  her  green-house,  had  con- 
trived an  out-of-doors  dining-room.  The 
high  spirits  of  the  two  younger  people  domi- 
nated the  conversation,  as  they  jested  and 
bantered,  laughed,  and  crossed  wits  in  little 
wordy  sword-plays  that  called  forth  applause 
and  encouragement  from  the  others.  Lucy 
sparkled  and  dimpled,  and  her  color  rose, 
while  Curtis's  eyes  darkened  and  flashed. 
Miss  Dent,  watching  them,  realized  what  an 
attractive  young  woman  Lucy  had  grown  to 
be,  and  how  much  she  had  blossomed  out  even 
in  the  few  months  since  their  last  parting. 
"  She  will  have  plenty  of  admirers,"  the  older 
woman  thought,  with  a  little  twinge  at  her 
heart.  Still,  she  was  very  young,  and  it  would 
be  a  long  time  yet  before  she  would  think  of 


TALK  OF  MANY  THINGS          99 

marriage.  But  —  if  she  were  to  marry  and 
leave  her  father  —  he  would  be  very  lonely 
—  perhaps  —  and  then  she  felt  her  cheeks 
grow  warmer,  and  hastened  to  resume  her 
part  in  the  conversation. 

Louise  was  pleased  with  Conrad's  face. 
It  seemed  full  of  character,  with  its  broad 
brow,  tanned  cheeks,  large  nose,  and  well- 
set  chin.  She  noted  especially  the  strong, 
firm  jaw  and  chin,  saying  to  herself  that 
they  betokened  a  strength  of  will  and 
constancy  of  purpose  that  foretold  success 
in  whatever  he  might  undertake.  He  was 
amusing  them  with  an  account  of  the 
feud  between  the  wives  of  the  Castleton 
brothers. 

"  But  don't  the  men  take  up  the  quarrels  of 
their  wives,"  Louise  asked,  "  or  allow  any 
feeling  to  come  between  them?" 

"  Not  in  the  least ;  nor  does  there  seem  to 
be  any  ill-feeling  between  the  ladies.  They 
are  always  good  friends,  and  the  men  look 
upon  the  whole  thing  as  a  good  joke.  If 
Mrs.  Turner,  for  instance,  cooks  up  some  new 
scheme  for  getting  the  better  of  Mrs.  Ned, 
she  tells  her  husband  about  it,  he  tells  Ned, 
and  they  laugh  over  it  and  make  bets  about 
which  will  win." 


ioo        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

Lucy  was  interested  in  the  Castleton  ladies. 
Conrad  said  that  Mrs.  Turner  Castleton  was 
considered  a  great  beauty,  but  that  he  liked 
Mrs.  Ned,  who  was  half  Mexican,  much  the 
better  and  thought  her  the  more  interesting 
and  charming.  She  asked  if  they  ever  visited 
the  ranch.  "  Yes,"  said  Curtis;  "  Ned  and  his 
wife  come  up  for  a  few  days  every  Spring. 
This  year  they  '11  be  there  after  the  round-up 
is  over  and  the  cattle  shipped.  Would  you 
like  to  meet  them  ?  All  right,  we  '11  arrange 
it.  While  they  are  there  I  '11  get  up  a  bar- 
becue and  a  baile,  and  ask  some  people.  You 
and  Miss  Dent  and  your  father  must  all 
come." 

The  American  in  the  Southwest,  arrogant 
and  contemptuous  as  the  Anglo-Saxon  al- 
ways is  when  brought  face  to  face  with  a 
difference  in  race,  a  difference  in  ideals,  or  a 
difference  in  speech,  regards  the  Spanish  lan- 
guage with  frank  disdain  and  ordinarily  re- 
fuses to  learn  it.  But  where  the  Mexicans 
are  present  in  large  numbers,  as  in  New 
Mexico,  he  adopts  from  the  other's  language 
a  good  many  words  which  soon  supplant  their 
English  equivalents.  An  evening  party  of  any 
sort,  whether  a  public  dance  in  the  town  hall, 
a  select  affair  in  the  house  of  a  prominent 


TALK  OF  MANY  THINGS        101 

resident,  or  a  gathering  in  the  Mexican  quar- 
ter, is  always  a  "  baile,"  a  thriftless,  insignifi- 
cant person  of  either  race  a  "  paisano,"  while 
upon  "  coyote  "  the  American  has  seized  with 
ready  tongue,  applying  it  to  any  creature,  hu- 
man or  other,  for  which  he  wishes  to  express 
supreme  contempt. 

Miss  Dent  had  to  have  baile  explained  to 
her,  and  their  talk  drifted  to  the  subject  of 
the  Mexican  people.  Bancroft  told  her  the 
story  of  the  bold  theft  of  Conrad's  mare, 
the  chase  and  capture  of  Melgares,  and  the 
wounding  of  Gaines.  "  It  is  thought  that 
poor  Jack  cannot  live,"  he  said  in  conclusion, 
"  and  the  Mexican  is  held  in  jail  to  await 
the  result.  If  he  dies  the  fellow  will  be  tried 
for  murder." 

"  I  've  heard  a  queer  story  about  Melgares," 
said  Conrad,  and  went  on  to  tell  how  the 
Mexican  had  lost  his  little  ranch.  Lucy  lis- 
tened attentively,  with  indignant  eyes  fixed  on 
Curtis's  face. 

"  How  shameful !  "  she  broke  out.  "  What 
a  detestable  way  of  getting  money !  The  poor 
Mexicans!  Just  think  of  their  being  turned 
out  of  their  homes  in  that  way,  with  nothing 
to  fall  back  on!  I  don't  wonder  poor  Mel- 
gares became  a  thief  —  but  he  ought  to  have 


102        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

gone  to  Santa  Fe  and  stolen  Mr.  Baxter's 
horses ! " 

Bancroft's  eyes  were  fixed  on  his  plate. 
Had  the  others  been  watching  him  closely 
they  would  have  seen  no  more  than  a  flicker 
of  his  eyelids  as  his  face  took  on  a  stony  im- 
passiveness.  But  they  were  looking  at  Lucy 
who/  with  head  erect,  face  flushed,  and  eyes 
sparkling,  made  a  pretty  picture. 

"  I  'm  glad  you  feel  that  way,  Miss  Ban- 
croft," Curtis  exclaimed,  his  face  alight  with 
approval  and  admiration.  "  I  think  my- 
self it 's  about  as  despicable  a  way  of  getting 
money  legally  as  man  ever  devised.  Baxter 
knows  when  he  loans  the  money  that  the  poor 
wretches  will  never  be  able  to  pay  back  a  cent 
of  it.  He  would  n't  loan  it  to  them  if  he 
thought  they  could,  for  it 's  their  land  he  's 
after.  I  Ve  heard  that  he  's  getting  control 
in  this  way  of  a  big  tract  in  the  Rio  Grande 
valley  and  that  he  intends  to  form  a  company, 
advertise  it  through  the  East,  and  sell  the 
land,  which  is  really  valuable,  at  big  prices." 

'  Well,  I  think  it 's  a  shameful  piece  of 
business,  and  I  'm  surprised  that  Mr.  Bax- 
ter is  engaged  in  it !  "  said  Lucy  with  decision. 

''  Before  you  condemn  him  so  severely, 
daughter,"  interposed  Bancroft,  his  eyes  still 


TALK  OF   MANY  THINGS        103 

lowered,  "  you  should  remember  that  the  busi- 
ness of  the  loan  mortgage  companies  has  the 
full  sanction  of  law  and  custom,  and  that 
many  of  the  most  reputable  business  men  of 
the  United  States  have  engaged  in  it." 

"  I  can't  help  it,  daddy,  if  all  the  Con- 
gressmen and  lawyers  and  business  men,  and 
preachers  too,  in  the  United  States  are  en- 
gaged in  it  —  that  does  n't  make  it  right. 
Somehow  it  seems  a  different  matter  with 
these  poor  Mexicans,  they  are  so  helpless. 
Why,  it 's  almost  like  stealing  their  homes. 
I  'm  sorry,  daddy,  to  speak  so  about  Mr.  Bax- 
ter, but  that 's  really  the  way  I  feel  about  it; 
I  suppose  he  does  n't  realize  what  an  injury 
he  's  doing  them.  Oh,  daddy,"  and  she  leaned 
forward  eagerly,  her  face  flushing,  "  you  and 
he  are  such  good  friends,  maybe  you  could  tell 
him  what  harm  he  's  doing  and  persuade  him 
to  give  up  that  part  of  his  business !  " 

Conrad  smiled  grimly.  "  It 's  plain,  Miss 
Bancroft,"  he  said,  without  waiting  for  her 
father  to  reply,  "  that  you  are  not  intimately 
acquainted  with  Dell  Baxter.  I  'm  sorry  about 
this  Melgares  business,  for  I  can't  help  feel- 
ing a  sort  of  responsibility.  If  the  fellow 
is  hung  his  family  will  be  left  destitute. 
Yes,  he  has  a  wife  and  four  children,"  he 


io4        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

continued  in  answer  to  Miss  Dent.  "  I  had  a 
talk  with  him  about  the  affair,  and  he  asked 
me  to  send  for  his  family  for  him.  He  had 
money  with  which  to  pay  their  fares,  though 
where  he  got  it  probably  wouldn't  bear  too 
close  an  inquiry." 

Lucy  was  looking  at  him  eagerly,  her  face 
full  of  sympathy.  "  The  poor  things !  "  she 
exclaimed.  "  When  they  come  you  must  let 
me  know,  Mr.  Conrad." 

Bancroft  abruptly  changed  the  subject,  and 
presently  the  talk  drifted  to  a  story  that  had 
just  come  out  about  the  postmaster  at  Randall. 
"  It 's  a  characteristic  New  Mexican  tale,"  said 
Curtis,  turning  to  the  ladies.  "  You  '11  soon 
find  out,  Miss  Bancroft,  if  you  don't  know  it 
already,  that  the  cowboy  song  of  '  What  was 
your  name  in  the  States  ? '  can  often  be  ap- 
plied in  earnest." 

"  Confound  the  fellow,"  thought  Bancroft 
irritably,  "  why  is  he  always  harping  on  that 
subject ! " 

'  This  is  a  particularly  audacious  case, 
though  —  don't  you  think  so,  Aleck?  "  Curtis 
went  on.  "  Here  this  man  has  been  living  for 
several  years  in  Randall,  a  respected  citizen, 
holding  office,  with  influence  in  the  commun- 
ity, when,  behold,  it  is  discovered  that  just 


TALK  OF  MANY  THINGS        105 

before  coming  here  he  had  skipped  from  some 
town  in  Missouri,  where  he  was  postmaster, 
with  all  the  money  in  his  office  and  another 
man's  wife.  But  his  sin  has  finally  found 
him  out." 

"  It  always  does,"  observed  Lucy  coolly. 

Louise  Dent  was  conscious  of  a  fluttering1 
in  her  throat  and  realized  that  her  heart 
was  beating  loudly.  The  moment's  pause  that 
followed  seemed  to  her  so  long  that  she  rushed 
into  speech,  without  thought  of  what  she 
said:  "I'm  afraid  it  does." 

"  Why  do  you  say  'afraid,'  Dearie?  "  asked 
Lucy,  with  surprise.  "  Is  n't  it  right  that  it 
should?" 

Louise  made  brief  and  noncommittal  reply 
and  Bancroft  hurriedly  asked  Curtis  how  the 
round-up  wras  getting  on. 

'  Well,  we  've  got  the  thing  started,  and 
are  ready  to  move  the  cattle  on  the  north  part 
of  the  range  toward  Pelham.  We  '11  begin 
shipping  within  two  or  three  weeks.  But 
something  seems  to  have  struck  the  cowboy 
market  this  year ;  I  Ve  been  short  of  hands 
all  the  Spring." 

"  Perhaps  I  can  give  you  some  help,"  said 
Bancroft.  "  A  Mexican  from  up  North  has 
been  to  me  looking  for  work.  He  came  the 


io6        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

day  you  had  the  chase  after  Melgares  and 
was  in  again  to-day.  He  has  worked  for 
Baxter,  and  Dell  says  he  is  an  expert  cow- 
boy and  sure  to  give  satisfaction/' 

"  He  must  be  an  unusual  sort  of  greaser 
if  he  's  looking  for  work,"  laughed  Conrad. 
"  If  he  's  that  sort,  I  guess  he  '11  strike  my 
gait." 

They  found  the  Mexican  sitting  on  the 
steps  of  the  front  veranda  when  they  finished 
dinner. 

"  Why,"  exclaimed  Curtis  with  hearty  in- 
terest, "  he  's  the  same  chap  that  told  me  my 
mare  was  stolen.  I  hope  you  can  ride  and 
throw  a  rope ;  I  'm  obliged  to  you  already, 
and  I  'd  like  to  do  you  a  good  turn.  I  '11  meet 
you  down  town  presently,  and  if  you  know 
anything  about  the  business  I  '11  take  you  be- 
hind me  on  my  mare  to  the  ranch  to-night, 
and  you  can  go  to  work  in  the  morning." 

The  moon  had  just  risen,  and  its  huge  white 
disk  seemed  to  be  resting  on  the  plain  only 
a  little  way  beyond  the  town.  Its  brilliant 
silvery  light  was  already  working  weird  trans- 
formations in  the  landscape. 

"  Oh,  are  you  going  to  ride  home  to-night, 
through  this  wonderful  moonlight !  "  Lucy  ex- 
claimed. "  How  I  envy  you !  " 


TALK  OF  MANY  THINGS        jo; 

'  Yes,"  he  answered,  lowering  his  voice  and 
speaking  in  a  tone  different  from  any  she 
had  before  heard  from  his  lips;  "and  it  is 
indeed  a  wonderful  ride!  I  don't  know  any- 
thing more  impressive  than  the  landscape  of 
this  country  under  a  marvellous  moon,  like 
that  over  there.  I  hope  we  can  have  a  ride 
by  moonlight  together,  some  time,  when  the 
moon  is  full.  Does  Miss  Dent  ride?"  His 
voice  went  back  to  its  usual  tone.  "  I  know 
your  father  is  a  fine  rider.  Perhaps  we  can 
make  up  a  party  some  night,  when  I  don't 
have  to  hurry  home.  I  expect  my  brother 
here  this  Summer,  to  spend  his  vacation  with 
me.  You  and  Miss  Dent  will  like  him,  I  'm 
sure,  for  he  's  a  fine  lad.  I  hope  we  can  all 
have  some  pleasant  excursions  together." 

At  the  sound  of  his  softened  voice  Lucy 
felt  herself  swept  by  sudden  emotion,  and 
hastily  put  her  hands  behind  her  lest  he  should 
see  that  they  were  trembling.  And  later  that 
night,  when  she  looked  out  from  her  window 
at  the  white  moon  floating  in  the  violet  sky, 
suddenly  her  nerves  went  a-quiver  again  and 
her  eyes  sought  the  far,  dim  plain  as  she  softly 
whispered,  "  Under  a  marvellous  moon,  like 
that  over  there !  " 

The  Mexican  asked  Bancroft  how  to  reach 


io8        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

the  place  where  Conrad  was  to  meet  him,  and 
the  banker  walked  to  the  gate  and  pointed 
out  the  streets  he  was  to  follow.  As  he  fin- 
ished Gonzalez  bent  a  keen  gaze  upon  him 
and  asked,  significantly,  "  Has  the  senor 
further  instructions  for  me  ?  " 

Bancroft's  start  and  the  shade  of  annoy- 
ance that  crossed  his  face  as  he  realized  that 
it  had  been  noticed  were  not  lost  upon  the 
man,  whose  searching  look  was  still  on  him. 
His  equanimity  had  been  well  tried  already 
that  evening,  and  this  sudden  touch  upon  a 
half-formed  and  most  secret  desire  startled 
him  for  an  instant  out  of  his  usual  self- 
control.  Heretofore  he  had  merely  dallied 
with  the  thought  that  Conrad's  removal  would 
mean  his  own  safety,  for  the  rest  of  his  life. 
It  had  appeared  to  him  merely  as  something 
the  consequences  of  which  would  be  desir- 
able. His  hand  could  not  be  concerned  in 
it,  he  wished  to  know  nothing  about  it  —  but 
if  Baxter  thought  best  —  to  further  his  own 
ends  —  why  had  the  Mexican  come  to  him 
with  this  impudent  question? 

"  I  'm  not  hiring  you,"  was  his  curt  answer. 

"  Certainly  not,  senor,"  the  man  answered 
calmly,  his  head  erect,  his  arms  folded,  and 
one  foot  advanced.  The  trio  on  the  veranda 


TALK  OF  MANY  THINGS        109 

noted  and  laughed  over  his  attitude.  Lucy 
said  he  looked  like  a  hero  of  melodrama  tak- 
ing the  limelight.  Miss  Dent  added  that  he 
was  handsome  enough  for  a  matinee  idol,  and 
Conrad  declared  that  there  was  no  telling  how 
many  sefioritas'  hearts  he  had  already  broken. 
Bancroft  turned  to  go  back  to  the  house,  but 
paused  an  instant,  and  the  Mexican  quickly 
went  on  in  a  softly  insinuating  voice :  "  But 
if  the  senor  should  wish  to  say  anything  par- 
ticular ?  Don  Dellmey  thought  it  might  'be 
possible." 

Bancroft  lingered,  flicking  the  ashes  from 
his  cigar.  "  I —  I  know  nothing  about  it,"  he 
blurted  out,  uncertainly.  "  If  Don  Dellmey 
had  anything  to  say  to  you  I  suppose  he 
said  it." 

As  he  turned  away  he  heard  the  man  say 
gently,  "  Thank  you,  Senor  Bancroft.  I  shall 
not  forget  our  talk."  There  was  no  reply, 
and  the  Mexican,  whistling  a  Spanish  love 
tune,  disappeared  down  the  hill  in  the  weird 
mixed  lights  of  the  fading  day  and  the  bril- 
liant moon. 

Alone  on  the  veranda,  Alexander  Bancroft 
walked  restlessly  to  and  fro,  stopping  now  and 
again  as  if  to  listen  to  the  music  from  within, 
which  he  did  not  hear,  or  to  look  at  the 


i  io        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

moonlit  landscape,  which  he  did  not  see.  Over 
and  over  he  was  saying  to  himself  that  he 
had  no  idea  what  Dellmey  Baxter  had  said 
to  this  Mexican,  and,  whatever  it  was,  he 
had  distinctly  told  the  creature  that  he  knew 
nothing  about  it.  The  man  had  come  to  him 
recommended  as  an  expert  cowboy,  he  had 
passed  the  recommendation  on  to  Conrad,  and 
that  was  all  there  was  about  it. 

Nevertheless,  he  knew  he  had  reason  to 
believe  —  the  Congressman  had  intimated  as 
much  in  his  letter  —  that  the  man  who  called 
himself  Jose  Gonzalez  was  in  reality  Liberate 
Herrara,  guilty  of  at  least  one  murder  and 
probably  of  others,  whom  Baxter's  legal  skill 
had  saved  from  the  gallows.  Curtis  had  said 
that  he  should  carry  the  man  behind  him  to 
the  ranch  that  night.  Before  Bancroft's  in- 
ward eye  a  sudden  vision  opened:  wide  miles 
of  silent  plain,  a  great  white  moon  hanging 
low  in  the  sky,  a  long  stretch  of  deserted 
road,  and  then  two  men  on  a  single  horse  — 
and  the  light  gleaming  on  a  long  knife !  He 
shuddered  as  the  blade  flashed,  and  turned  his 
face  away  from  the  plain.  Then,  as  there 
came  to  him  a  sudden  sense  of  tremendous 
relief,  with  breath  and  thought  suspended  he 
turned  slowly,  fascinatedly,  and  with  greedy 


TALK  OF  MANY  THINGS        in 

eyes  searched  the  distant  plain,  as  if  eager 
to  find  in  it  some  proof,  at  last,  of  his  own 
safety. 

Lucy's  voice  rose  in  a  gay  little  song  above 
the  piano  and  fell  upon  his  ears.  With  a 
deep,  long-drawn  breath  his  thought  leaped 
out  and  seized  upon  all  that  freedom  from 
Curtis  Conrad's  pursuit  would  mean  for  him. 
Jose  Gonzalez  would  sink  out  of  sight,  and 
Liberato  Herrara  would  be  back  in  his  own 
home,  unsuspected  and  silent.  Some  excite- 
ment would  follow,  search  would  be  made,  a 
body  would  be  found  in  a  mesquite  thicket,  — 
and  then  the  interest  would  die  out,  and  there 
would  be  only  another  grewsome  tale  of  mys- 
tery to  be  added  to  the  hundreds  already  told 
through  the  Southwest.  And  he — Alexander 
Bancroft — would  be  safe — secure  in  fortune 
and  reputation  and  the  love  and  honor  of  his 
daughter  as  long  as  they  should  live. 

The  music  within  ceased  and  Lucy's  voice 
rippled  out  in  girlish  laughter.  His  heart  sank 
as  he  seemed  to  hear  again  her  hot  denuncia- 
tion of  Baxter's  loan  and  mortgage  opera- 
tions. "  I  '11  sell  out  to  Dell  and  she  '11  never 
know  I  Ve  had  anything  to  do  with  it,"  he 
thought.  Then  there  came  ringing  through 
his  memory,  as  he  had  heard  them  so  many 


ii2        THE   DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

times  since  they  rode  home  from  the  Socorro 
Springs  ranch,  her  passionate  words,  "  He 
must  have  been  a  wicked  man,"  and  "  I  should 
hate  him,  with  all  my  strength,"  and  again  his 
longing  face  turned  impulsively  toward  the 
plain. 

"  I  'd  kill  him  myself,  rather  than  let  her 
find  out,"  he  whispered,  with  teeth  set.  "  And 
a  man  has  got  to  protect  himself  out  here !  " 
his  urgent  thought  went  on.  "  I  '11  be  a  fool  if 
I  don't  stop  him  before  he  gets  his  chance  at 
me ! "  With  a  sudden  stirring  of  conscience 
he  remembered  that  this  man  whose  death  he 
was  so  ardently  desiring  was  his  friend  and 
trusted  his  friendship.  "I  —  I  don't  want 
him  stuck  in  the  back,"  he  muttered.  "  I 
might  warn  him.  He  may  not  have  started 
yet." 

He  walked  uncertainly  toward  the  veranda 
steps.  There  was  a  flutter  of  white  drapery 
and  Lucy  was  laying  an  affectionate  hand  on 
his  arm.  "  Oh,  daddy  dear,"  she  coaxed, 
"  won't  you  come  in  and  try  this  duet  with  us  ? 
Dearie  will  play  the  accompaniment  for  us  to 
sing.  She  brought  it  to  me,  and  I  'm  dying  to 
try  it." 

'  Yes,  if  you  wish  it,  daughter,"  the  banker 
replied,  hesitation  in  his  voice,  "  but  I  was 


TALK  OF  MANY  THINGS        113 

thinking  of  going  down  town."  He  saw  the 
shade  of  disappointment  that  crossed  her  face, 
and  drew  her  hand  into  his  arm.  "  It  does  n't 
matter,"  he  went  on,  "  and  I  would  rather  stay 
at  home."  To  himself  he  said  as  they  moved 
to  the  door,  "  Conrad  has  gone  by  this  time, 
and,  anyway,  I  've  no  reason  to  think  this 
Mexican  intends  to  do  him  any  harm." 


CHAPTER   VIII 

SPECTRES   OF   THE   PAST 

RESTLESS  was  the  night  that  followed 
for  Alexander  Bancroft ;  his  sleep  was 
troubled  by  many  a  dream  in  which 
one  friend  after  another  moved  swiftly  on  to 
violent  death.  With  the  coming  of  dawn  he 
arose  to  look  out  from  the  eastern  windows  of 
his  room.  The  sky  was  a  dome  of  rosy  light 
and  below  lay  the  vast  plain,  dim  but  color- 
ful, its  gray-green  mottled  with  vague  bands 
and  patches  of  opalescent  lights  and  shadows 
and  dotted  with  little  islands  of  vivid  green. 
His  eyes  clung  to  these  darker  spots,  which 
he  knew  to  be  thickets  of  mesquite;  piercing 
their  shade  his  inner  vision  showed  him  the 
still  body  of  his  friend.  So  real  was  the 
mental  picture  that  he  turned  pale  about  the 
lips  and  abruptly  left  the  window. 

If  anything  had  happened,  he  kept  reassur- 
ing himself,  it  had  been  at  Dellmey  Baxter's 
instigation.  He  himself  had  had  nothing  to 
do  with  it.  If  Baxter  had  decided  that  his 


SPECTRES  OF  THE   PAST        115 

affairs  would  go  more  smoothly  with  Conrad 
out  of  the  way,  why  should  he,  Alexander 
Bancroft,  trouble  himself  further  ?  And  if  — 
anything  had  happened  —  again  he  felt  the 
loosening  of  mental  strain  and  his  spirits  rose 
in  exultation  at  the  prospect  of  freedom  and 
safety.  Life  was  more  attractive  than  ever 
with  that  menacing  figure  no  longer  threaten- 
ing him  with  disclosure,  disgrace,  and  death. 
He  could  go  on  with  his  plans  for  the  accumu- 
lation of  fortune  and  the  enjoyment  of  life. 
He  could  still  hold  Lucy's  love  and  honor, 
travel  with  her,  marry  again,  work  his  way 
to  a  commanding  place  in  the  world  of  busi- 
ness. The  future  opened  before  him  as  easy 
and  inviting  as  the  stairs  down  which  he  went 
to  breakfast. 

Lucy  ran  to  meet  him  with  a  good-morning 
kiss  and  a  rose  for  his  buttonhole.  "  It 's  the 
prettiest  I  could  find  in  my  conservatory,"  she 
smiled  at  him ;  "  but  it  is  n't  half  nice  enough 
for  my  daddy  dear.  You  don't  look  well  this 
morning,  daddy,"  she  went  on  anxiously.  "  Is 
anything  the  matter?" 

His  hand  slipped  caressingly  down  over  her 
curls  and  drew  her  to  his  breast  in  a  quick 
embrace,  instinct  with  the  native  impulse  of 
the  animal  to  protect  its  offspring.  "  She 


n6        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

shall  never  know,"  was  the  thought  in  his 
mind. 

"  Daddy !  What  a  bear  hug  that  was !  " 
she  laughed,  "  like  those  you  used  to  give  me 
when  I  was  a  little  girl.  It  did  n't  feel  as  if 
you  were  ill." 

"  I  'm  not,"  he  answered  lightly,  kissing  her 
pink  cheek.  "  I  guess  I  smoked  too  much 
yesterday,  and  so  did  n't  sleep  very  well.  Yes ; 
I  promise;  I  '11  be  more  careful  to-day." 

At  breakfast  his  eyes  dwelt  much  upon 
Louise  Dent's  face,  gentle  and  pleasant.  He 
had  always  liked  her,  and  since  her  coming  on 
this  visit  she  had  seemed  very  attractive.  He 
knew  she  had  strength  and  poise  of  character 
and  a  nature  refined  and  cheerful.  These 
qualities  in  her,  with  a  certain  genial,  unob- 
trusive companionableness,  had  long  ago  won 
his  warm  friendship.  But  was  there  not  in 
her  steady  gray  eyes  a  hint  of  passionate 
depths  he  had  never  thought  of  before?  It 
stirred  him  so  deeply  that  for  a  little  while, 
as  they  lingered  over  the  breakfast  table,  he 
forgot  the  other  facts  of  life,  noting  the  faint 
rose  flush  in  her  cheeks,  the  graceful  turn  of 
her  wrists,  and  the  soft  whiteness  of  her  throat 
as  she  threw  back  her  head  and  laughed.  And 
Lucy  loved  her  so  devotedly!  If  she  were 


SPECTRES  OF  THE  PAST        117 

willing  to  marry  him  their  household  would 
surely  be  harmonious  and  happy. 

Lucy  fluttered  beside  him  to  the  gate,  her 
arm  in  his,  as  she  chattered  to  him  of  the 
funny  things  her.  Chinese  cook  had  been  say- 
ing and  doing.  She  lingered  there,  her  eyes 
following  his  figure,  until  he  turned,  half  a 
block  away,  to  wave  his  hat  in  response  to  her 
farewell  handkerchief. 

By  the  time  he  reached  the  foot  of  the  hill 
Bancroft's  mind  was  once  more  engrossed 
with  the  need  of  knowing  whether  or  not  he 
was  at  last  secure  from  ignominious  exposure. 
He  no  longer  disguised  from  himself  the  fact 
that  news  of  Conrad's  death  would  be  most 
welcome.  He  looked  eagerly  up  and  down  the 
main  streets ;  there  was  no  sign  of  excitement. 
Had  nothing  happened,  then?  But  it  was  still 
early ;  moreover,  news  of  the  affair  might  not 
reach  the  town  for  a  day  or  two.  The  sound 
of  horses'  feet  coming  at  a  swift  trot  down  the 
street  on  the  other  side  of  the  stream  made  his 
heart  beat  quickly.  He  lingered  at  the  door 
of  his  bank  until  the  horseman  came  into  view 
under  the  big  cottonwoods  at  the  next  corner. 
It  was  Red  Jack  from  the  Socorro  Springs 
ranch.  At  once  his  heart  leaped  to  certainty. 
He  turned  to  enter  the  bank,  but  stopped  and 


ii8        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

looked  back,  undecidedly.  Red  Jack  had  not 
dismounted,  but  had  drawn  rein  in  front  of  the 
court-house  at  the  next  corner,  and  was  sit- 
ting there  quietly,  looking  up  and  down  the 
road  as  if  expecting  somebody.  He  led  a 
saddled  horse.  Perhaps  he  was  to  take  a 
physician  back  with  him.  But  he  seemed  in 
no  haste,  and  in  his  manner  there  was  neither 
excitement  nor  anxiety.  Bancroft  could  wait 
no  longer  to  learn  what  had  happened.  With 
hands  in  pockets  he  sauntered  down  the  street. 

"  Hello,  Jack,"  he  said  indifferently  to  the 
waiting  horseman.  "  You  're  in  town  early 
this  morning." 

"  I  sure  hiked  along  from  the  ranch  early 
enough,"  the  cowboy  replied.  "  The  boss 
hired  a  new  man  last  night ;  and  I  had  to  come 
over  this  morning  after  him." 

Bancroft's  eyes  were  on  the  cigar  he  was 
taking  from  his  pocket,  which  he  handed  to 
the  cowboy,  saying  idly,  "  Why,  he  intended 
last  night  to  carry  the  man  behind  him.  Did 
he  change  his  mind?  The  man  was  a  Mexi- 
can, wasn't  he?  " 

'  Y-e-s ;  a  measly  coyote !  The  boss  did  n't 
bring  him  last  night  because  he  thought  it 
would  be  too  hard  on  Brown  Betty  to  carry 
double.  I  wonder  if  mebby  that  ain't  my  man 


SPECTRES  OF  THE   PAST         119 

comin'  down  the  street  right  now !  I  Ve 
done  forgot  his  name ;  do  you  happen  to  know 
it,  Mr.  Bancroft?" 

"  I  think  it 's  Jose  Gonzalez.  He  came  here 
from  Dellmey  Baxter,  who  recommended  him 
to  me  as  a  first-rate  cowboy." 

"  Well,  he  '11  have  to  be  a  peach  if  he  strikes 
the  boss's  gait,"  Red  Jack  rejoined,  motioning 
to  the  Mexican. 

Bancroft  walked  back  to  his  place  of  busi- 
ness with  brows  knitted  and  mouth  drawn 
into  grim  lines.  His  mind  was  acting  rapidly 
and  ruthlessly.  The  sudden  collapse  of  his 
house  of  cards,  the  knowledge  that  danger  was 
still  as  imminent  as  ever,  left  him  savage  with 
desire  for  Curtis  Conrad's  death,  or,  rather, 
for  the  delectable  land  that  lay  beyond  it. 
Nobody  but  this  young  hothead  with  his  in- 
sensate desire  for  revenge  knew  or  cared  any- 
thing about  that  old  affair  now.  With  him 
out  of  the  way  there  would  be  no  danger  from 
anybody  or  anything.  Why  was  n't  the  man 
sensible  enough  to  take  the  money  he  was  will- 
ing to  pay,  and  be  satisfied  ?  Perhaps  the  re- 
ceipt of  another  check  or  two  would  soften  his 
purpose ;  it  was  worth  trying.  And  —  there 
was  still  the  Mexican!  Baxter  had  surely 
said  something  to  him,  and  the  fellow  seemed 


120        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

to  understand  that  he,  also  —  but  he  had  said 
nothing  about  it,  and  whatever  the  creature 
suspected  was  his  own  inference.  Evidently 
the  Mexican  did  suspect  something  and  had 
some  purpose  in  his  mind.  With  Conrad  so 
intent  upon  his  destruction  had  he  not  every 
right  to  protect  himself  and  his  child?  Of 
course  he  had,  he  told  himself  fiercely,  and 
what  means  he  might  use  were  his  own  affair. 

At  the  door  of  the  bank  Rutherford  Jenkins 
met  him  with  a  smiling  salutation:  "Good- 
morning,  Mr.  Bancroft ;  this  is  lucky !  I  was 
waiting  for  you  here,  but  I  've  got  so  much  to 
do  that  I  'd  begun  to  be  afraid  I  would  n't  be 
able  to  see  you  before  I  go  back." 

Bancroft  greeted  him  pleasantly.  "  What 
do  you  mean,  Jenkins,"  he  went  on,  "  by  de- 
serting to  Martinez  ?  Had  n't  you  better  think 
again  about  that?  We  need  you  on  our  side." 

'*  That 's  exactly  what  I  want  to  see  you 
about,"  said  Jenkins  in  a  confidential  tone. 
"  Can't  you  come  over  with  me  to  Bill  Wil- 
liams's  hotel  for  a  few  minutes?  I  want  to 
have  a  talk  with  you." 

They  went  back  together,  Bancroft  wonder- 
ing if  Jenkins,  who  was  regarded  as  a  desir- 
able ally  by  both  parties,  notwithstanding  his 
character,  was  about  to  make  overtures  to  him 


SPECTRES  OF  THE  PAST        121 

for  deserting  the  Martinez  fold  and  coming 
back  to  Baxter's.  "  Perhaps  that  spanking 
Curt  gave  him  has  set  him  against  the  whole 
Martinez  following/'  he  thought.  "  Baxter 
will  be  mighty  glad  to  get  him  back,  and  I  '11 
do  my  best  to  cinch  the  bargain  so  he  can't 
crawl." 

When  they  entered  the  hotel  room  Jenkins 
moved  leisurely  about,  got  out  a  bottle  of 
whiskey,  and  hunted  up  some  cigars,  talking 
all  the  time  glibly  about  other  matters  and 
jumping  inconsequently  from  one  subject  to 
another.  Bancroft  made  several  attempts  to 
bring  the  conversation  to  the  point,  but  each 
time  Jenkins  either  blandly  ignored  or  skil- 
fully evaded  his  leading.  Finally  Bancroft 
said,  looking  at  his  watch :  "  Well,  Jenkins, 
I  've  got  to  be  at  the  bank  very  soon,  and  if 
there  's  anything  particular  you  want  to  say 
suppose  we  get  down  to  business." 

'  Yes,  yes,  certainly,"  Jenkins  replied  un- 
concernedly. '  That 's  what  I  'm  coming  to 
right  now."  He  gave  Bancroft  a  cigar, 
lighted  one  himself,  made  some  jokes  as  he 
bustled  aimlessly  around  the  room,  and  at 
last  sat  down  on  the  foot  of  the  bed,  facing 
the  banker,  who  occupied  the  only  chair  in 
the  little  room.  He  ceased  speaking,  and 


122        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

Bancroft,  looking  up  suddenly,  caught  in  his 
face  an  expression  of  expectant  triumph.  The 
tip  of  his  tongue  was  darting  over  his  lips,  and 
his  small  dark  eyes  were  fixed  on  his  guest  with 
a  look  of  malicious  satisfaction.  Instantly 
Bancroft's  nerves  were  alert  with  the  sense  of 
coming  danger.  He  blew  out  a  whiff  of  smoke 
and  calmly  returned  the  other's  gaze.  Their 
eyes  met  thus,  the  one  gloating,  the  other  out- 
wardly unmoved  but  inwardly  astart  with  sud- 
den alarm.  Then  Jenkins  began,  in  a  blandly 
insinuating  tone: 

"  Before  we  come  to  that  matter  about  Mar- 
tinez, I  want  to  ask  you,  Mr.  —  ah  —  Mr. 
Dela  —  ah,  I  beg  your  pardon,  Mr.  Bancroft 

—  I  thought  I  would  ask  you  —  you  've  poked 
about  a  good  deal,  out  here  in  the  West  —  and 
in  out-of-the-way  places,  too  —  and  I  've  been 
wondering  —  I    thought    I  'd    ask   you  —  if 
you  've  ever  run  across  a  gentleman  of  the 
name   of  —  of  —  Dela  —  Dela  —  let   me    see 

—  yes,    Delafield  —  that 's    it  —  Sumner    L. 
Delafield,    of    Boston.      Do    you    remember 
whether  or  not  you've  ever  met  him  ?  " 

Bancroft  did  not  blanch  nor  flinch.  For 
so  many  years  he  had  schooled  himself  to 
such  constant  watchfulness  and  incessant 
self-control  that  an  impassive  countenance 


SPECTRES  OF  THE  PAST        123 

and  manner  had  become  a  habit.  Lucy,  with 
her  uncompromising  moral  decisions  and  her 
swift,  unsparing  condemnations,  could  come 
nearer  to  unnerving  him  than  could  any  bolt 
from  the  blue  like  this.  He  flicked  the  ash 
from  his  cigar,  hesitating  a  moment  as  if 
searching  his  memory,  but  really  wondering 
whether  Jenkins  knew  anything  or  was  merely 
guessing  and  trying  to  draw  him  out.  The 
latter  seemed  much  the  more  likely. 

"  I  can't  say  on  the  instant  whether  I  ever 
met  such  a  man  or  not.  As  you  say,  I  have 
gone  about  a  good  deal  and,  as  my  business 
most  of  the  time  has  been  that  of  mining  and 
trading  in  mines,  it  has  often  taken  me  into 
out-of-the-way  places,  and  I  have  met  a  great 
many  people.  At  this  moment  I  don't  recall 
the  name." 

"  Don't  you  ?  I  'm  sorry,  for  I  thought  per- 
haps you  could  verify  for  me  a  curious  story 
about  the  man  that  has  just  come  to  my 
knowledge.  You  know  I  'm  always  picking 
up  information  about  people  —  I  find  it  comes 
in  handy  now  and  then.  Well,  if  you  Ve 
never  met  him,  have  you  ever,  in  the  course 
of  your  Western  travels,  run  across  a  man 
—  he  was  a  mining  man,  too  —  a  mining 
man  named  Hardy  —  John  Mason  Hardy? 


124        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

There 's  a  curious  story  about  him,  too,  or, 
rather,  about  a  man  who  was  associated  with 
him  in  a  mining  enterprise  down  in  old 
Mexico.  The  other  man's  name  was  Smith 
—  a  very  serviceable  name  is  Smith ;  sort  of 
like  a  black  derby  hat;  no  distinguishing 
mark  about  it  and  easy  to  exchange  by  mis- 
take if  you  'd  rather  have  some  other  man's." 

Bancroft  rose  and  looked  at  his  watch. 
"  If  there 's  anything  of  particular  interest 
or  importance  in  this,  Mr.  Jenkins,  I  '11  be 
very  glad  to  listen  to  it  some  other  time;  but 
I  can't  stay  any  longer  this  morning.  I  ought 
to  have  been  at  my  desk  half  an  hour  ago." 

Jenkins  sat  still  and  waved  him  back  with 
insistent  politeness.  "  One  moment  more,  Mr. 
Bancroft,  if  you  please.  I  'm  coming  to  the 
point  right  away.  This  story  is  of  some  con- 
sequence to  me,  and  I  'd  like  to  know  if  you 
can  verify  it.  Have  another  drink." 

Bancroft  swallowed  the  whiskey  at  a  gulp 
and  Jenkins  noticed  that  his  fingers  trembled 
as  he  took  the  glass.  He  was  thinking,  "  I  'd 
better  stay  and  find  out  exactly  how  much  he 
knows."  Jenkins  smiled  under  his  hand  as 
he  smoothed  his  straggling  moustache  and 
watched  Bancroft  wipe  the  sweat  from  his 
forehead. 


SPECTRES   OF  THE  PAST        125 

"  This  man  Smith,"  Jenkins  continued, 
"  John  was  his  name,  too  —  John  Smith  and 
John  Mason  Hardy  were  partners  in  a  min- 
ing enterprise  down  in  Mexico.  One  of  them 
died  down  there  —  died,  you  know,  in  a  quiet, 
private  sort  of  way,  and  the  one  that  came 
up  to  the  States  again  was  named  Hardy, 
but  it  was  n't  the  same  Hardy  that  had  gone 
down  there.  You  might  guess,  if  you  wanted 
to,  that  Smith  killed  Hardy  and  took  his 
name  —  " 

He  stopped  and  drew  back  suddenly,  for 
Bancroft  had  sprung  forward  with  a  white, 
angry  face  and  was  shaking  a  trembling  fist 
under  his  nose. 

"  Stop  there,  you  liar ! "  he  exclaimed  in 
low,  tense  tones.  "  I  did  n't  do  that.  He 
died  a  natural  death  —  of  fever  —  and  I  took 
care  of  him  and  did  my  best  to  save  his  life." 

Jenkins  recovered  his  self-possession  first. 
"  Oh ;  then  you  know  all  about  it ! "  he  said 
dryly,  with  a  malicious  smile. 

Bancroft  sank  back  in  his  chair  drawing 
his  hand  across  his  eyes  and  wondering  why 
his  self-control  had  so  suddenly  gone  to  pieces. 
He  had  thought  himself  proof  against  any  sur- 
prise, but  this  man's  sudden  blow  and  persist- 
ent baiting  had  screwed  his  nerve  tension  to 


i26        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

the  snapping  point.  But  he  told  himself  that 
it  probably  did  not  matter  anyway,  as  Jen- 
kins evidently  knew  the  whole  story.  With 
a  desperate,  defiant  look  he  turned  upon  his 
tormentor. 

"  Well,  what  do  you  want  ?  "  he  demanded 
sharply.  "  Why  have  you  raked  up  this  old 
story?" 

"Oh,  I  found  it  interesting,"  Jenkins  re- 
sponded in  a  leisurely  way,  "  as  an  instance 
of  the  way  things  are  done  on  the  frontier 
and,  as  I  told  you  at  first,  I  thought  you 
might  be  able  to  verify  it.  For  I  was  inclined 
not  to  believe  it,  especially  as  it  was  about 
one  of  the  most  prominent  and  respected  citi- 
zens of  New  Mexico.  But  since  you  Ve  con- 
fessed its  truth  yourself  —  well,  I  Ve  got  to 
believe  it  now.  It  has  been  a  very  blind  trail 
I  Ve  followed,  crooked  and  well  hidden  — 
wonderfully  well  hidden,  Mr.  Bancroft  —  and 
the  number  of  names  you  Ve  hoisted  along  its 
course  has  been  bewildering.  But  I  Ve  man- 
aged to  track  you  through  'em  all,  and  to 
discover  in  Alexander  Bancroft,  the  upright, 
honored,  public-spirited  citizen  of  New  Mex- 
ico, the  identical  person  of  Sumner  L.  Dela- 
field,  the  defaulting  and  absconding  financier 
of  Boston." 


SPECTRES  OF  THE   PAST        127 

Bancroft  looked  Jenkins  sullenly  in  the  eye. 
"  Well,  now  that  you  have  it  all,  what  are 
you  going  to  do  about  it  ?  " 

"  Pardon  me,  Mr.  Bancroft,"  said  Jenkins 
with  exaggerated  suavity,  "  ah,  excuse  me, 
I  mean  Mr.  Delafield  —  that  is  for  you  to 
say." 

The  banker  considered  for  a  moment  only. 
Evidently  this  man  knew  exactly  what  he  was 
about  and  exactly  what  he  wanted,  so  that 
it  would  be  of  no  use  to  beat  around  the 
bush.  '  Will  you  please  say  precisely  what 
you  mean?"  was  his  answer. 

'  That  is  just  what  I  have  been  doing,  Mr. 
Delafield." 

"  Excuse  me,  Jenkins,  but  my  name  is  Ban- 
croft, not  Delafield.  I  have  a  legal  right  to 
the  name  of  Bancroft,  given  me  by  the  legis- 
lature of  Arizona.  You  will  oblige  me  by  ad- 
dressing me  in  that  way." 

"  Oh,  yes ;  I  know  that ;  and  a  lot  of  trouble 
I  had  with  this  chase  until  I  found  it  out! 
But  I  thought  you  might  like  to  hear  your- 
self called  Delafield  once  more  —  sort  of  like 
meeting  an  old  friend,  you  know.  Won't 
you  have  another  cigar,  Mr.  Bancroft?  No? 
Well,  then,  let 's  have  another  drink."  He 
poured  out  two  glasses  of  whiskey.  Bancroft 


i28        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

drank  his  without  demur,  but  Jenkins  barely 
touched  his  glass  to  his  lips. 

"Well,  now,  Mr.  Bancroft,"  Jenkins  went 
on  affably,  smiling  and  rubbing  his  hands  to- 
gether, "  let 's  get  down  to  the  practical  side 
of  this  romantic  story  from  real  life.  You 
are  getting  on  so  well  here  under  your  pres- 
ent name,  and  you  have  a  young  daughter  — ' 
he  saw  his  listener  wince  at  this,  and  then 
carefully  repeated  his  words  —  "  and  you  have 
such  a  beautiful  and  charming  young  daugh- 
ter, who,  as  the  heiress  of  a  father  who  is 
making  a  fortune  with  clean  hands  and  no 
cloud  on  his  past,  can  be  taken  about  the 
world  and  can  make  a  good  marriage  some 
of  these  days;  considering  all  this,  I  take  it 
for  granted  that  you  would  prefer  to  have 
this  story  buried  too  deep  for  resurrection. 
And  it  is  for  you  to  say  whether  it  shall  be 
buried  or  not." 

Bancroft  sat  in  silence  for  a  full  minute, 
glaring  at  the  man  opposite,  his  lips  set  in  a 
livid  line.  Jenkins  grew  nervous  in  the  dead 
stillness  of  the  room,  and  began  to  fidget. 
He  cautiously  rested  his  right  hand  on  the 
bed  close  by  his  pistol  pocket,  and  kept  his 
eyes  on  the  banker,  watchful  for  the  first 
hostile  movement.  There  was  need  of 


SPECTRES  OF  THE  PAST        129 

wariness,  for  Bancroft  was  debating  with  him- 
self whether  it  would  be  better  to  go  on  to 
the  dreary  end  of  this  business  and  leave  the 
room  with  a  blackmailer's  noose  around  his 
neck,  or  to  whip  out  his  gun,  put  a  bullet 
through  this  man's  brain,  and  another  through 
his  own. 

But  the  fragrance  of  life  rose  sweet  to  his 
nostrils,  and  his  innate  virility  spurred  him 
on  to  keep  up  the  fight.  Apparently  he  had 
brought  up  against  a  stone  wall,  but  he  had 
fought  too  long  and  too  desperately  to  be  will- 
ing to  confess  himself  beaten  until  he  could 
struggle  no  longer.  He  felt  sure  that  money 
would  keep  Jenkins  quiet,  and  after  a  while 
he  might  find  some  other  means  of  stopping 
the  man's  mouth  for  good.  The  fellow  was 
always  in  some  dirty  job  or  other,  and  before 
long  doubtless  some  hold  on  him  would  be- 
come possible.  There  was  Conrad  still  to  be 
reckoned  with  —  but  that  could  wait,  at  least 
until  this  man  was  silenced. 

"  Well,"  he  said  quietly,  "  what  do  you 
want  ?  For  God's  sake,  come  to  the  point !  " 

Jenkins  drew  a  breath  of  relief.  "  Well, 
Mr.  Bancroft,  I  'm  interested  this  year  in  the 
success  of  Johnny  Martinez.  It 's  a  matter 
of  the  first  importance  to  me  for  him  to  be 

9 


I3o        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

elected.  But  I  'm  afraid  he  has  n't  got  much 
chance  if  Silverside  County  and  the  rest  of 
the  South  should  go  against  him.  Now, 
you  've  got  more  influence  down  here  then 
anybody  else,  and  you  can  swing  it  for  him 
if  you  want  to.  That 's  what  I  want  you 
to  do." 

Bancroft  looked  up  in  sudden  dismay. 
He  had  not  expected  anything  of  this  sort. 
"  You  know  I  'm  committed  to  Baxter/'  he 
said. 

"  Oh,  yes ;  I  know.  But  that 's  nothing. 
In  New  Mexico  it 's  not  difficult  to  change 
your  politics.  Why,  I  thought  of  coming  out 
for  Baxter  myself  at  first ;  but  I  'm  solid  for 
Martinez  now." 

Bancroft  rose  and  began  pacing  the  half- 
dozen  steps  to  and  fro  that  the  room  af- 
forded, seeking  some  loophole  of  escape  from 
his  obligations  to  Baxter.  There  were  mort- 
gages the  Congressman  could  foreclose  that 
would  balk  some  of  the  banker's  most  prom- 
ising plans  should  he  attempt  political  treach- 
ery. He  could,  and  undoubtedly  would,  reveal 
his  associate's  connection  with  the  loan  and 
mortgage  operations  in  the  Rio  Grande  val- 
ley; and  Bancroft  winced  as  he  thought  of 
this  coming  to  Lucy's  ears.  And  in  that 


SPECTRES  OF  THE  PAST        131 

matter  of  Curtis  Conrad  and  Jose  Gonzalez 
—  had  he  not  put  himself  at  Baxter's  mercy? 
In  this  moment  of  supreme  necessity  the  naked 
truth  came  before  him;  and  he  knew  it  to 
be  true  that  he  was  primarily  responsible  for 
any  harm  that  might  come  to  the  young  cattle- 
man through  Gonzalez.  If  he  did  not  keep 
faith  with  Baxter  the  Congressman  would  tell 
Curtis  who  it  was  that  desired  his  death ;  and 
then  Conrad  would  know  where  to  find  Dela- 
field.  In  short,  he  knew  that  Baxter  would 
stop  at  nothing  to  compel  his  loyalty  or  punish 
his  treason.  Having  contemplated  no  course 
except  that  of  fidelity  in  his  business  and 
political  relations  with  Baxter,  the  closeness 
of  their  alliance  had  heretofore  given  him 
little  uneasiness;  and  now,  in  this  crisis,  he 
found  himself  wholly  in  the  other's  power. 
He  flung  himself  into  his  chair,  his  face  pallid 
and  the  perspiration  standing  in  great  drops 
on  his  forehead.  His  breath  came  hard  and 
his  voice  was  thick  as  he  asked: 

"  Is  there  no  alternative?  " 

"  Well,  no ;  none  that  I  can  accept,"  Jen- 
kins replied  meditatively.  "  You  see,  it 's  a 
very  important  matter  for  me  to  be  able  to 
make  this  present  to  Johnny.  If  he  wins  this 
fight  there  '11  be  something  big  in  it  for  me. 


i32        THE   DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

No ;  I  '11  have  to  insist  upon  this  as  the  first 
condition." 

Bancroft's  lips  moved  soundlessly  as  he 
stared  at  the  man  sitting  on  the  edge  of  the 
bed,  nursing  his  knee  and  showing  his  white 
teeth  in  a  triumphant  smile.  Then,  suddenly, 
without  a  word  of  warning,  the  banker  leaped 
forward  and  seized  his  companion  around  the 
throat.  Jenkins,  taken  entirely  off  his  guard, 
succeeded  only  in  grasping  his  assailant's  coat 
as  they  went  down  on  the  bed  together  in  a 
noiseless  scufHe.  Bancroft's  hands  closed 
around  his  tormentor's  throat,  and  a  savage, 
elemental  satisfaction  thrilled  in  him  and 
goaded  him  on.  More  and  more  tightly  his 
fingers  clutched  as  Jenkins  struggled  under 
his  grip.  Neither  of  them  uttered  a  sound, 
and  the  silence  of  the  room  was  broken  only 
by  the  creaking  of  the  bed  or  the  occasional 
knocking  of  a  foot  against  the  chair. 

Bancroft's  face  was  snarled  like  that  of  a 
wild  beast  as  he  watched  Jenkins's  visage  grow 
livid  and  his  struggles  weaken.  Of  a  sudden 
reason  returned  to  him.  If  this  man  were  to 
die  under  his  hand  there  would  be  grewsome 
consequences  —  and  he  had  enough  to  deal 
with  already.  He  stood  up,  trembling,  and 
looked  anxiously  at  the  still  form  on  the  bed. 


SPECTRES  OF  THE  PAST        133 

"  You  —  you  're  not  dead,  Jenkins,  are 
you  ?  "  he  stammered  awkwardly. 

Jenkins  stirred  a  little,  opened  his  eyes,  put 
his  hand  to  his  throat,  and  got  up,  looking 
warily  at  his  assailant.  "  It 's  no  thanks  to 
you  that  I  'm  not,"  he  responded  sullenly. 

"  I  did  n't  mean  to  kill  you  —  but  you  — 
you  struck  me  too  hard  —  it  drove  me  wild 
—  and  for  a  minute  I  did  n't  know  what  I 
was  doing."  Jenkins  scowled,  rubbed  his 
throat  again,  and  drank  a  glass  of  whiskey. 
Bancroft  helped  himself  likewise,  following 
it  with  a  copious  draught  of  water.  As  they 
faced  each  other  again  Jenkins  edged  away 
suspiciously  toward  the  door;  but  Bancroft 
went  back  at  once  to  the  unsettled  question. 

"  It  would  ruin  me,  financially  and  in  every 
other  way,  to  go  back  on  Baxter.  You  might 
just  as  well  kill  me  outright  as  insist  upon 
that." 

!<  But  I  'm  going  to  insist  upon  it,"  was 
Jenkins's  sullen  answer. 

Bancroft  made  a  despairing  gesture.  "  But 
I  tell  you,  Jenkins,  the  thing  's  impossible!  It 
would  ruin  me  just  as  surely  as  for  you  to 
tell  all  you  know.  You  '11  have  to  be  satisfied 
with  something  else." 

Jenkins  leaned  against  the  bed  and  stared 


THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

angrily  at  Bancroft.  Physical  pain  had  made 
him  obstinate  and  determined  him  to  press  his 
point,  more  to  return  injury  for  injury  than 
because  he  wanted  that  particular  thing. 

"  I  tell  you  now,"  Bancroft  went  on,  "  that 
I  'd  rather  take  the  last  way  out  than  try  to  go 
back  on  Baxter.  It  would  n't  be  the  healthiest 
thing  in  the  world  for  you  if  I  should  kill 
myself  shut  up  in  this  room  with  you,  would 
it?" 

"Well,  I'll  waive  that  for  the  present," 
Jenkins  replied  unwillingly ;  "  but,  mind  you, 
it 's  only  for  the  present.  We  '11  talk  about  it 
again,  later  in  the  season.  For  the  present 
I  want  a  good,  big  sum  before  you  leave  this 
room,  and  hereafter  I  've  got  to  have  a  regu- 
lar monthly  payment,  a  check  on  the  first  of 
every  month  when  I  don't  come  after  the 
cash  myself." 

Bancroft  considered  for  only  a  moment. 
His  dilemma  was  clear:  he  must  either  buy 
this  haltered  freedom  from  Jenkins  or  kill  him 
in  his  tracks.  This  latter  alternative  was  not 
to  be  considered;  and  doubtless  before  long 
it  would  be  possible  to  turn  the  tables  on  the 
creature  and  escape  from  his  clutches. 

Jenkins  folded  away  in  his  pocketbook  a 
check  and  a  roll  of  bills  and  smiled  as  he 


SPECTRES  OF  THE  PAST        135 

looked  at  Bancroft's  haggard  face.  "  I  hope, 
Mr.  Dela  —  ah,  pardon  me,  —  Mr.  Bancroft, 
that  I  have  not  kept  you  too  long  from  your 
affairs  at  the  bank."  As  his  eyes  followed  the 
banker's  disappearing  figure  with  a  gleam  of 
satisfaction,  he  patted  his  breast  pocket  and 
whispered : 

"  Now  for  the  other  score ! " 


CHAPTER   IX 

PERILS   IN   THE   NIGHT 

KLD  JACK  and  Jose  Gonzalez  joined 
the  forces  of  the  Socorro  Springs 
ranch  while  the  cattle  of  the  morn- 
ing's round-up  were  being  driven  to  the 
watering-place  near  the  ranch  house.  Across 
the  road  from  the  house  stood  a  large  grove 
of  cottonwoods;  a  little  beyond  that,  in  the 
valley,  a  deep  pond  had  been  dug,  into  which 
flowed  the  outlets  from  the  several  springs. 
The  cattle  from  a  score  of  miles  roundabout 
were  accustomed  to  come  to  this  pond,  with 
its  circling  belt  of  trees,  for  water  and  for 
midday  rest  in  the  shade. 

Here  the  round-up  was  in  progress,  and 
Conrad  galloped  out  to  meet  the  new  hand 
and  give  him  instructions.  As  he  rode  off 
toward  the  hills  after  a  bunch  of  straggling 
cattle  Curtis  looked  after  him  with  an  ap- 
proving eye.  "  He  knows  how  to  fork  a  horse, 
at  least,"  he  thought.  In  the  afternoon  Jose 
was  set  to  work  cutting  out  and  bunching  the 


PERILS   IN  THE  NIGHT          137 

two-  and  three-year-old  steers  and  later  at 
helping  with  the  branding.  Conrad  watched 
his  handling  of  the  branding  irons,  and  he 
and  all  the  rest  stopped  their  work  to  follow 
his  movements  with  critical  eyes  as  he  roped 
and  brought  to  the  ground  a  belligerent  steer. 
The  superintendent  was  well  satisfied.  "  At 
last  I  've  got  a  man  who  knows  the  business 
and  has  some  sabe,"  he  thought.  "  If  he  goes 
on  as  well  as  he  begins  I  '11  keep  him  after 
the  shipping  is  done." 

The  next  day  the  round-up  crept  slowly 
southward,  accompanied  by  the  chuck-wagon 
and  a  drove  of  fresh  horses.  At  noon  the 
cattle  gathered  during  the  morning  were 
bunched  at  Adobe  Springs,  the  next  watering- 
place  toward  the  Mexican  border.  Gonzalez 
was  the  only  Mexican  among  the  cowboys, 
the  rest  being  Americans  of  one  sort  or  an- 
other —  from  Texas,  Colorado,  the  North- 
west, and  the  Middle  West.  All  felt  toward 
him  the  contemptuous  scorn  born  of  difference 
in  race  and  consequent  conviction  of  superior 
merit.  They  had  no  scruples  about  making 
known  their  prejudice,  and  more  than  once  his 
face  flushed  and  his  hand  darted  toward  the 
knife  hidden  in  his  bosom.  Yet,  as  the  day 
wore  on  and  they  saw  that  he  excelled  the 


138        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

best  of  them  in  handling  the  lasso  and  in  the 
cunning  of  his  movements  when  cutting  out 
the  steers  from  the  herd,  they  began  to  show 
him  the  respect  that  skill  of  any  sort  inspires 
in  those  who  know  with  what  effort  it  is 
acquired. 

After  supper,  when  they  gathered  about 
the  campfire,  smoking,  and  scoffing  good- 
naturedly  at  one  another's  tales  of  wondrous 
experiences,  and  talking  over  the  events  of 
the  day  just  gone,  they  received  him  upon 
an  equality  with  themselves  which  was  only 
slightly  grudged.  He  told  them,  in  English 
more  precise  than  any  of  them  could  speak, 
of  Conrad's  encounter  with  Rutherford  Jen- 
kins in  the  Blue  Front,  and  their  appreciation 
of  the  tale  completed  the  work  which  his  skill 
as  a  cowboy  had  begun.  Thereafter  they 
looked  upon  Jose  as  a  comrade  and  a  good 
fellow. 

Three  small  adobe  houses,  of  one  room  each, 
with  flat  roofs  and  earthen  floors,  had  been 
built  here,  as  the  large  and  never-failing 
springs  made  the  spot  a  sure  rendezvous  for 
every  round-up.  The  locality  was  infested  by 
skunks,  and  the  cowboys,  who  greatly  feared 
midnight  bites  from  the  prowling  animals, 
believing  hydrophobia  a  sure  consequence, 


PERILS  IN  THE  NIGHT          139 

usually  preferred  to  sleep  inside  the  houses, 
on  bunks  filled  with  alfalfa  hay.  If  they  ven- 
tured to  sleep  out-of-doors,  they  kept  small 
cans  of  coal  oil  ready  and,  whenever  a  wake- 
ful man  saw  one  of  the  small  creatures  near, 
a  quick  turn  of  the  wrist  drenched  its  fur 
with  the  fluid  and  a  brand  from  the  smoulder- 
ing campfire  tossed  after  it  sent  a  squealing 
pillar  of  flame  flying  up  the  hill  and  saved 
them  from  further  disturbance  that  night. 

A  board  nailed  across  a  corner  of  the 
largest  house  served  Conrad  as  a  desk.  He 
kept  there  a  lamp,  writing  materials,  and  a 
few  books.  While  the  men  sprawled  around 
the  campfire  and  the  last  gleams  of  dusky  red 
faded  from  the  west  and  the  moon  bounded 
up  from  behind  the  eastern  hills,  he  made  his 
memoranda,  wrote  a  letter  to  be  sent  to  the 
post-office  by  the  first  chance  comer,  and  lost 
himself  for  an  hour  in  a  volume  of  Shake- 
speare. When  he  went  outside  the  men  were 
walking  about,  yawning  and  stretching,  ready 
for  sleep.  Curtis's  imagination  was  still  astir 
from  his  reading,  and  the  presence  of  any 
other  human  being  seemed  an  impertinence. 
But  he  said,  genially: 

"  Well,  boys,  you  begin  to  look  as  if  you 
wanted  to  turn  in.  Take  whatever  bunks  you 


i4o        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

like,  if  you  want  to  go  inside.  I  'm  going  to 
sleep  out  here." 

"  Better  have  a  tin  of  ile  handy,"  said  Red 
Jack.  "  The  polecats  are  sure  likely  to  nibble 
your  toes  if  you  don't.  The  night  I  slept  here 
last  week  I  never  saw  the  cusses  so  bad; 
durned  if  one  of  the  critters  did  n't  get  inside 
and  wake  me  up  smellin'  of  my  ear.  I  was 
some  skeered  of  him  stinkin'  up  the  place  so 
it  couldn't  be  slept  in  for  a  year,  so  I  jest 
had  to  lay  low  and  wait  for  him  to  go  out- 
side, and  then  I  doused  him  good  with  ile 
and  throwed  the  candle  at  him.  I  sure  reckon 
he  's  holed  up  somewhere  now,  waitin'  till  he 
can  afford  a  new  sealskin  sacque  before  he 
shows  hisself  in  good  sassiety  ag'in." 

"  I  don't  think  they  '11  bother  me  to-night," 
Curtis  responded.  At  that  moment  he  felt 
that  nothing  could  disturb  him,  if  only  he 
could  be  left  alone  with  the  moonlight  and 
the  plain.  "  I  '11  sleep  with  my  boots  on,  and 
my  cheeks  are  not  as  fat  as  yours,  Jack,  so 
there  '11  be  no  temptation.  Where  do  you 
want  to  bunk,  Jose?  You  can  sleep  outside 
or  in,  just  as  you  like." 

Gonzalez  replied  respectfully  that  he  would 
rather  go  in.  But  presently  he  came  out  again 
with  his  blanket  and  chose  a  spot  against  the 


PERILS   IN  THE  NIGHT          141 

wall  of  one  of  the  houses.  Conrad  had  gone 
out  to  the  herd  to  speak  with  the  man  on 
patrol  and  to  make  sure  that  all  was  well. 
When  he  returned  the  men  had  disappeared. 
"  Good!  "  he  said  to  himself.  "  They  've  all 
gone  inside  and  I  Ve  got  the  universe  to  my- 
self." He  did  not  see  the  still  form  in  its 
gray  blanket  close  against  the  wall. 

Curtis  took  the  red  bandanna  from  his  neck 
and  tied  it  over  his  ears,  to  keep  out  the  tiny 
things  that  crawl  o'  nights,  and  couched  him- 
self in  his  blanket  on  the  gently  rising  ground 
with  his  saddle  for  a  pillow.  He  lay  down 
with  his  face  to  the  east,  where  the  dim  and 
mellow  sky,  flooded  with  moonlight,  seemed 
to  recede  far  back,  to  the  very  limits  of  space, 
and  leave  the  huge  white  globe  suspended 
there  in  brooding  majesty  just  above  the  plain. 
With  long  legs  outstretched  and  muscles  re- 
laxed, he  lay  as  still  as  if  asleep,  his  eyes  on 
its  glowing  disk.  He  knew  all  that  science 
had  discovered  or  guessed  about  the  moon's 
character  and  history.  But  it  had  compan- 
ioned him  on  so  many  a  silent  ride  across 
long  miles  of  dimly  gleaming  plain,  and  on 
so  many  nights  like  this  as  he  lay  upon  the 
earth  it  had  gathered  his  thoughts  into  its 
great  white  bosom,  that  he  could  not  image 


142        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

it  to  himself  as  a  mere  dead  and  barren  satel- 
lite of  the  earth.  More  easily  could  he  under- 
stand how  the  living  Cynthia  had  once  leaped 
earthward  and  been  welcomed  with  belief  and 
love. 

Conrad's  mind  busied  itself  at  first  with  the 
play  he  had  just  been  reading,  but  presently 
wandered  to  his  own  affairs  and  the  purpose 
that  had  been  the  dominant  influence  of  half 
his  life.  He  chuckled  softly  as  he  remembered 
the  check  he  had  recently  received.  "  I  've 
got  him  on  the  run,"  he  thought,  "  and  I  'm 
bound  to  lay  him  out  sooner  or  later.  Lord, 
but  it  will  be  a  satisfaction  to  face  him  finally ! 
And  he  '11  not  get  the  drop  on  me  first,  either, 
unless  Providence  takes  as  good  care  of  ras- 
cals as  they  say  it  does  of  fools."  He  re- 
called himself  now  and  then  to  listen  to  the 
sounds  from  the  sleeping  herd,  to  the  hoof- 
beats  of  the  horse  as  the  cowboy  on  watch 
rode  round  and  round  the  bunch,  and  to  his 
voice  singing  in  a  lulling  monotone.  But 
gradually  thought  and  will  and  sense  sank 
back  toward  the  verge  of  that  great  gulf  out 
of  which  they  spring. 

When  next  he  opened  his  eyes  the  moon 
was  dropping  toward  the  western  horizon, 
but  he  had  turned  in  his  sleep  and  its  light 


PERILS  IN  THE  NIGHT         143 

was  still  upon  his  face.  Lying  motionless, 
Curtis  listened  to  the  sounds  from  the  herd, 
his  first  thought  being  that  something  unusual 
there  must  have  awakened  him.  The  coyotes 
were  yelping  at  one  another  from  hill  and 
plain,  but  through  their  barking  he  could  hear 
the  snorting  sigh  of  a  steer  turning  in  its 
sleep,  the  tramp  of  the  horse,  and  the  cowboy's 
lullaby.  He  recognized  the  voice  as  that  of 
Peters,  who  was  to  have  the  third  watch,  and 
so  knew  that  it  must  be  well  on  toward  morn- 
ing. He  was  about  to  sink  into  slumber  again 
when  his  gaze  fell  upon  a  small  black  and 
white  animal  nosing  among  some  rocks  near 
by.  "  Poor  little  devil !  If  it  wakens  any  of  the 
boys  it  will  get  a  taste  of  hell  out  of  propor- 
tion to  its  sins,"  he  thought,  and  decided  that 
he  would  drive  it  away  before  any  one  else 
discovered  it.  But  the  languor  of  sleep  still 
held  him  and  not  a  muscle  moved  as  his  eye- 
lids began  to  droop.  Then,  through  his  half- 
shut  eyes,  he  became  conscious  that  something 
was  moving,  over  against  one  of  the  houses, 
among  the  shadows.  His  eyelids  lifted  again 
and  he  saw  the  Mexican  rise  out  of  his  blanket, 
look  about,  and  in  a  crouching  posture  move 
stealthily  toward  him.  Something  in  his  hand 
glittered  in  the  moonlight. 


i44        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

"  It 's  Jose,"  thought  Conrad.  "  He  's  com- 
ing for  the  skunk  with  a  can  of  oil.  Quick, 
or  I  '11  be  too  late !  "  He  sprang  to  a  sitting 
posture  and  flung  out  one  arm.  As  he  did  so 
he  noticed  with  sleepy  surprise  that  Jose  was 
not  facing  toward  the  animal  but  was  com- 
ing toward  him.  Then,  before  he  had  time 
to  speak,  the  Mexican  turned,  a  flying  some- 
thing shone  in  the  moonlight  like  an  electric 
flash,  and  Conrad's  eyes,  following  the  gleam, 
saw  the  little  creature  pinned  to  the  ground 
with  a  long  knife  through  its  neck  and  the 
gray  sand  darkening  with  its  blood. 

'  Why,  Jose,  that  was  a  wonderful  throw !  " 
he  exclaimed. 

'  Yes,  sefior,"  the  man  replied  quietly,  as 
he  stooped  to  draw  out  the  knife  and  wipe 
it  on  the  sand,  "  I  am  rather  good  at  that  sort 
of  thing." 


CHAPTER   X 

BY    A    HAIR'S    BREADTH 

CURTIS  CONRAD  rode  to  the  farther 
side  of  a  hill  sloping  gently  north- 
east of  the  houses  as  the  outfit  was 
getting  under  way  the  next  morning.  He  re- 
membered having  seen  there  a  rather  uncom- 
mon species  of  cactus,  and  he  thought  to 
make  sure  of  it  in  order  to  secure  a  specimen 
for  Lucy  Bancroft's  collection  when  next  he 
should  pass  that  way  on  a  homeward  trip. 
Jose  Gonzalez  noted  his  action  and  presently, 
when  a  steer  broke  wildly  from  the  herd  and 
ran  back,  it  was  Jose  who  dashed  after  it. 
But,  instead  of  heading  it  off  and  driving  it 
back,  he  so  manoeuvred  that  he  contrived  to 
get  it  around  the  hill  behind  which  he  had 
seen  Conrad  disappear.  The  superintendent 
was  digging  busily  in  the  ground  with  his 
pocket-knife,  having  decided  to  take  up  the 
plant  and  leave  it  in  the  house  in  readiness 
for  his  return  journey. 


146        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

Assured  that  the  rest  of  the  outfit  was  out 
of  sight  beyond  the  hill,  Gonzalez  left  the 
steer  to  its  own  devices  and  galloped  straight 
toward  and  behind  the  kneeling  figure,  his 
long  knife  drawn  but  concealed  against  his 
leg.  Conrad's  attention  was  engrossed  in 
what  he  was  doing  and  his  thoughts  were  all 
of  Lucy  Bancroft,  of  how  pleased  she  would 
be  to  get  this  rare  specimen,  and  of  how 
necessary  it  would  be  for  him  to  help  her 
plant  it.  Jose  checked  his  horse  into  a  walk 
and  leaned  forward,  his  eyes  fastened  on  the 
other's  back,  his  knife  lying  half  hidden  in 
his  palm.  On  the  soft  ground  the  hoof -beats 
of  the  horse  made  little  sound  and  their  faint, 
unresounding  thud  was  masked  by  the  noises 
from  the  moving  herd. 

Gonzalez  drew  rein  within  a  few  yards  of 
his  object  and  lifted  his  arm,  with  the  knife 
balanced  in  his  hand.  At  that  instant  the 
steer  bellowed,  and  Curtis  leaped  to  his  feet, 
on  the  alert  at  once  lest  something  had  gone 
wrong  with  the  herd.  He  saw  the  single  steer 
and,  wheeling  around  to  look  for  others,  his 
glance  took  in  the  Mexican,  swerving  his  horse 
down  the  hill  and  deftly  returning  the  knife 
to  his  belt.  "  Are  you  after  the  steer,  Jose  ?  " 
he  called.  "  Is  that  the  only  one  loose  ?  " 


BY  A  HAIR'S   BREADTH          147 

"  Yes,  sefior.  The  rest  are  all  right.  This 
one  has  given  me  a  chase,  but  I  '11  have  him 
back  right  away." 

"  Stop  a  minute,  Jose.  Would  you  mind 
letting  me  use  your  knife?  Mine  's  too  short 
and  I  have  n't  anything  else." 

Gonzalez  rode  up,  dismounted,  and  held  out 
the  knife  with  a  courteous  smile.  As  he  stood 
back  with  one  leg  forward,  arms  folded,  and 
head  held  high,  Curtis  thought  him  an  image 
of  dashing,  picturesque,  masculine  comeliness. 
"  Jose,"  he  said,  "  how  did  you  get  such  skill 
in  throwing  the  knife?  I  never  saw  any- 
body do  the  trick  better  than  you  did  it 
last  night.  I  shouldn't  like  to  have  you," 
and  he  smiled  as  he  returned  the  weapon, 
"  aim  this  thing  at  me  as  you  did  at  that 
polecat." 

An  answering  smile  flashed  over  Jose's 
dark  face,  lighting  up  his  eyes  and  showing 
a  row  of  white  teeth  beneath  his  moustache. 
"  I  have  practised  it  much,  sefior.  It  is  not 
easy." 

The  next  day,  Conrad,  Gonzalez,  and  sev- 
eral others  were  getting  together  some  cattle 
in  the  foothills  when  three  of  the  largest  steers 
broke  away  and  raced  wildly  back  toward 
their  grazing  grounds.  The  superintendent 


148        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

called  the  Mexican  to  help  him,  and  told  the 
others  to  take  the  remainder  of  the  cattle, 
with  all  they  might  find  on  the  way,  back  to 
the  day  herd. 

Two  gallant  figures  they  made  as  they  gal- 
loped across  the  plain,  the  wind  blowing  up 
the  wide  brims  of  their  hats,  the  grace  and 
freedom  of  strength  and  skill  in  every  move- 
ment of  body  and  limb.  Lariats  were  at  their 
saddle  horns,  and  Curtis  carried  a  six-shooter 
in  his  belt,  but  Gonzalez  had  only  his  knife, 
thrust  into  his  boot  leg.  They  circled  and 
headed  off  the  steers,  which  eluded  and  dashed 
past  them  again  and  again,  until  presently 
Conrad  noticed  that  the  largest  of  the  three 
acted  as  a  sort  of  leader.  "  Rope  him,  Jose," 
he  called,  "  and  then  we  can  manage  the 
others." 

As  Gonzalez  in  response  came  galloping 
toward  the  animal  from  one  side,  Curtis 
rushed  past  it  on  the  other  to  prevent  it  from 
getting  away  and  giving  another  chase.  He 
glanced  at  the  loop  that  came  whirring 
through  the  air  and  his  heart  gave  a  bound 
of  vexation.  '  The  fool  greaser  is  throwing 
too  far,"  he  muttered.  With  an  instinct  of 
sudden  peril  he  dug  in  his  spurs  and  his  horse 
made  a  quick,  long  leap.  He  whirled  about 


BY  A  HAIR'S   BREADTH          149 

in  time  to  see  the  snakey  noose  fall  on  the 
spot  whence  they  had  jumped. 

"What's  the  matter  with  you,  Jose?"  he 
shouted.  "  You  nearly  roped  me  instead  of 
the  steer!  Try  it  again."  Gonzalez  coiled 
his  rope  and  galloped  after  the  steer  and 
half  an  hour  later  the  two  men  rode  into  the 
round-up,  driving  the  panting  and  humbled 
animals. 

One  of  the  younger  and  less  experienced 
men,  Billy  Black,  generally  known  as  "  Billy 
Kid,"  happened  to  lame  his  horse  and  bruise 
himself  that  day,  and  was  ordered  to  stay  in 
camp  to  nurse  his  knee.  At  Rock  Springs, 
where  they  made  camp  next  day,  a  man  who 
gave  his  name  as  Andy  Miller  rode  up  and 
asked  for  a  job.  He  explained  that  he  had 
been  working  on  a  little  ranch  over  toward 
Randall  but  had  got  tired  of  the  place  and 
was  pushing  for  the  railroad.  Hampered  by 
Billy  Black's  accident,  Conrad  was  glad  of 
the  opportunity  and  tested  his  skill  with  horse 
and  rope. 

"  You  '11  do,"  he  said.  "I  'm  short  of  hands, 
and  you  can  stay  with  us  until  we  get  to  the 
railroad  if  you  like." 

The  new  man  was  stockily  built,  and  looked 
strong  and  agile.  Around  the  campnre  that 


150        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

night  he  won  his  way  at  once  into  the  good 
graces  of  the  other  men,  cracking  jokes,  tell- 
ing stories,  and  roaring  out  cowboy  songs  until 
bedtime.  They  were  so  hilarious  that  Conrad 
joined  their  circle,  smoked  his  after-supper 
pipe  with  them,  and  laughed  at  Miller's  jokes 
and  yarns. 

The  Rock  Springs  watering-hole  was  in  a 
hilly  region,  broken  here  and  there  by  stony 
gulches.  The  outflow  from  the  springs  ran 
through  a  ravine  which  furrowed  the  hillside 
to  its  foot,  turned  abruptly  westward,  and  wid- 
ened out  into  a  goodly  pool,  where  the  cattle 
waded  and  drank.  The  camp  lay  on  the  hill- 
side above  the  springs,  and  the  cattle  were 
bunched  over  its  brow  on  the  other  side. 

Conrad  wakened  early  and  an  inviting 
image  came  to  him  of  that  pool,  lying  still 
and  clear  in  the  dim  gray  light,  untroubled  by 
the  miring  hoofs  of  the  cattle.  No  one  else, 
except  the  Chinese  cook,  busy  with  his  break- 
fast fire,  seemed  to  be  awake,  and  no  one 
stirred  as  Curtis  moved  down  the  hill,  past  the 
springs,  and  over  the  rise  beyond.  But  Gon- 
zalez, motionless  in  his  blanket,  watched  his 
departure.  And  presently,  when  the  cook  had 
disappeared  in  the  chuck-wagon,  Jose  rose, 
cast  a  cautious  glance  over  the  sleeping  camp, 


BY  A  HAIR'S   BREADTH          151 

and  followed  Conrad,  taking  advantage  of  oc- 
casional boulders,  clumps  of  mesquite,  grease- 
wood,  and  yucca  to  conceal  his  movements. 
At  the  springs  he  turned  down  the  gulch,  fol- 
lowing its  course  to  the  basin  of  the  drinking 
hole,  where  he  hid  behind  a  great  boulder, 
barely  ten  feet  from  the  bank  where  lay  the 
other's  clothing. 

With  wary  eyes  he  watched  while  the  super- 
intendent waded  out  to  the  deepest  part  of  the 
pool,  ducked  and  splashed,  swam  a  little,  and 
presently  returned  to  the  shore.  Through  the 
brightening  air  the  lean  and  sinewy  body  with 
its  swelling  muscles  gleamed  like  rose-tinted 
marble  below  the  tanned  face  and  neck.  Be- 
hind the  boulder  Jose  crouched  closer  and 
drew  the  knife  from  his  belt,  while  his  body 
grew  tense  as  he  watched  Conrad  rub  himself 
down  and  put  on  his  clothes. 

"  Will  he  never  keep  still  a  second?  "  Gon- 
zalez asked  himself  impatiently,  as  he  poised 
his  knife.  Curtis  sat  down  on  a  flat  stone  and 
reached  for  his  shoes  and  stockings,  whistling 
a  gay  little  melody  from  the  last  comic  opera 
he  had  heard  in  San  Francisco. 

A  sound  of  shouting  and  the  muffled  noise 
of  rushing  cattle  broke  through  the  morning 
air,  which  had  been  as  still  and  untroubled 


i52        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

as  the  surf  ace  "of  the  pool.  Conrad,  his  music 
silenced  and  nerves  alert,  faced  quickly  toward 
the  camp,  turning  his  body  from  the  waist 
upward  and  giving  Gonzalez  a  fair  three- 
quarters  view  of  his  torso. 

The  Mexican,  ready  and  waiting,  seized  an 
instant  of  arrested  motion,  and  sent  the  poised 
weapon  straight  for  his  heart.  As  it  left 
Jose's  hand,  the  stone  on  which  Curtis  sat, 
yielding  to  the  twisting  motion  of  his  body, 
slipped  under  him,  and  he  threw  out  his  left 
arm  to  preserve  his  balance.  He  was  aware 
of  something  bright  cleaving  the  air,  of  a 
sudden  pain  in  his  arm,  and  a  stinging  point 
in  his  side.  But  before  his  brain  could  realize 
what  had '  happened,  he  saw  Jose  Gonzalez 
leap  from  behind  the  boulder  and  rush  toward 
him,  befouling  the  air  with  a  string  of  Spanish 
oaths. 

Conrad  sprang  to  his  feet  and  wheeled,  with 
right  fist  ready  to  meet  the  attack,  before 
Jose  could  reach  him.  The  Mexican  flew  at 
him  with  both  arms  outstretched,  meaning  to 
seize  his  throat  and  throttle  him  before  he 
could  comprehend  his  danger.  Curtis  saw 
the  open  guard  and  landed  a  blow  on  his 
chest  which  sent  him  staggering  backward. 
But  he  returned  at  once,  with  left  arm  raised 


BY  A  HAIR'S   BREADTH          153 

in  defence  and  right  hand  ready  to  seize  the 
other's  shirt  collar  and  choke  him  senseless. 

For  a  moment  only  was  Conrad  at  a  dis- 
advantage by  reason  of  the  suddenness  of  the 
assault.  But  with  the  knife  still  bedded  in 
his  bleeding  and  helpless  left  arm,  his  only 
weapon  was  his  right  fist,  which  he  must  use 
for  both  defence  and  attack.  The  Mexican's 
eyes  were  fired  with  the  passion  of  combat, 
and  the  other,  ignorant  of  why  they  were 
fighting,  knew  only,  by  his  blanched  face  and 
set  jaws,  that  his  purpose  was  deadly. 

Gonzalez,  after  that  first  blow  upon  his 
chest,  was  wary.  He  danced  around  Conrad, 
making  feints  and  trying  to  get  inside  his 
guard.  But  Curtis,  whose  brain  was  working 
in  lightning-like  flashes,  did  not  waste  his 
strength  pounding  the  air.  He  kept  his  as- 
sailant eluding  his  feints  and  jumping  to  es- 
cape pretended  charges,  thinking  to  wear  him 
out  in  that  way.  He  soon  saw  that  he  was 
the  superior  in  boxing  skill,  as  well  as  being 
both  taller  and  heavier  than  his  foe,  and  he 
began  to  feel  assured  of  final  victory,  not- 
withstanding his  useless  hand  and  disabled 
arm. 

Jose's  effort  was  constantly  toward  Con- 
rad's left  side,  and  Curtis  guessed  that  he  was 


i54        THE   DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

trying  to  get  possession  of  the  knife  still  stick- 
ing in  his  arm.  He  knew  that  if  Gonzalez 
recovered  that  weapon  his  chance  of  life  would 
be  small  indeed.  His  bare  feet  were  bleeding 
from  the  sharp  little  stones  on  the  bank  of 
the  pool,  but  he  was  conscious  neither  of  that 
nor  of  pain  in  arm  or  side,  though  the  blood 
from  his  wound  was  making  a  red  streak 
down  his  shirt  and  trousers.  But  he  con- 
tinued to  hear,  with  a  kind  of  divided  con- 
sciousness, the  sound  of  shouts,  the  rushing 
of  cattle,  and  the  hoofs  of  galloping  horses. 
In  the  back  of  his  brain  he  knew  that  there 
had  been  a  stampede  of  the  herd,  and  with 
attention  absorbed  in  his  fight  for  life,  the 
thought  that  he  was  needed  at  the  camp 
spurred  him  on  to  more  desperate  effort. 

Jose  made  a  dash  for  his  left  side,  but  Curtis 
turned  and  with  all  his  force  sent  a  blow 
which  caught  the  Mexican,  intent  on  the  knife, 
with  shoulder  unguarded.  Gonzalez  spun  half 
round  and  reeled  backward.  Conrad  had 
planted  one  foot  on  a  rounding  stone,  and 
as  he  delivered  the  blow  it  slipped  and  sent 
him  headlong.  He  was  up  again  in  an  in- 
stant, barely  in  time  to  save  himself  from 
Jose's  fingers,  which  clutched  at  his  throat. 
But  Gonzalez  had  got  inside  his  guard  and 


BY  A  HAIR'S   BREADTH          155 

they  gripped,  the  one  with  one  arm  and  the 
other  with  two,  for  what  each  felt  must  be 
the  final  struggle.  The  American  caught 
Jose's  left  arm  between  their  two  bodies  and, 
reaching  around  him,  grasped  the  other  wrist 
in  his  right  hand.  They  swayed  back  and 
forth,  Jose  exerting  all  the  strength  of  his 
muscles  to  free  his  arms,  while  Conrad,  grip- 
ping him  close,  used  all  the  remnant  of  his 
strength  to  throw  him  down. 

By  this  time  the  Mexican's  eyes  were 
gleaming  with  an  ugly  light  and  his  olive 
cheeks  were  flushed  with  anger.  Whatever 
the  purpose  that  had  moved  him  at  first, 
Curtis  saw  that  he  was  fighting  now  with 
the  aboriginal  rage  of  conflict,  with  the  fierce 
hate  born  of  the  blows  he  had  received.  He 
kicked  wildly  at  the  superintendent's  shins 
and  accidentally  planted  the  heel  of  his  boot 
squarely  upon  the  other's  bare  foot.  Conrad's 
face  twitched  with  the  hurt,  and  with  a  snarl- 
ing grin  Gonzalez  lifted  the  other  for  similar 
purpose,  forgetting  shrewd  tactics  of  battle 
in  the  lust  of  giving  pain  to  his  opponent. 
But  Curtis  caught  the  momentary  advantage 
of  unstable  balance  and  with  a  twist  and  a 
lunge  they  came  down  together,  Conrad's  left 
shoulder  striking  against  a  stone  beside  which 


156        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

the  Mexican  fell.  Thrilling  with  the  surety 
of  triumph,  his  enemy  pinned  to  the  ground, 
Curtis  was  barely  conscious  of  a  snapping  in 
his  shoulder  and  a  sharp  pain  in  his  collar 
bone.  With  one  knee  on  Gonzalez's  chest,  he 
pulled  the  knife  from  his  left  arm,  broke  it 
across  the  boulder,  and  threw  the  blood- 
stained pieces  far  out  into  the  pond.  His  as- 
sailant was  at  his  mercy  now  and  the  heat 
and  anger  of  combat  ebbed  from  his  veins  as 
he  looked  down  at  the  Mexican's  unresisting 
figure. 

"  You  have  bested  me  this  time,  Don  Cur- 
tis," said  Gonzalez  quietly. 

"  Get  up,  Jose,"  replied  Conrad  rising,  and 
the  two  men,  panting  from  their  conflict,  faced 
each  other.  Jose  stood  with  his  arms  folded 
and  head  erect  and  looked  at  his  employer 
with  unafraid  eyes,  in  which  smouldered  only 
the  traces  of  his  recent  rage.  Conrad  sur- 
veyed him  thoughtfully  for  a  moment  before 
he  spoke. 

"  Jose,  what  did  you  do  it  for?  " 

The  Mexican  smiled  but  made  no  reply. 

"  Have  you  got  anything  against  me  ?  " 
Conrad  persisted.  "  Do  you  think  I  've  mis- 
treated you  or  injured  you  in  any  way  ?  " 

"  No,  sefior,  I  have  nothing  against  you." 


BY  A  HAIR'S   BREADTH          157 

"  Then  what  —  by  God,  are  you  one  of  Dell 
Baxter's  thugs  ?  Has  he  sent  you  down  here 
to  stick  me  in  the  back?"  Impelled  by  the 
flash  of  sudden  conviction,  Conrad  thrust  his 
face  close  to  the  other's  and  glared  into  his 
eyes.  Gonzalez  stepped  back  a  pace  and 
looked  gravely  across  the  hill  at  the  reddening 
sky.  His  composed  face  and  closely  shut  lips 
showed  that  he  did  not  intend  to  answer. 

"Oh,  all  right!"  Curtis  exclaimed.  "I,. 
don't  expect  you  to  peach  on  your  pal.  But 
I  reckon  I  've  sure  struck  the  right  trail  this 
time.  And  look  here,  Jose!  Was  it  me  you 
were  after  when  you  stuck  your  knife  in  that 
skunk?" 

The  Mexican's  eyes  fell  and  his  black  brows 
met  in  a  frown.  He  was  thinking  how  much 
trouble  this  man  had  given  him  by  springing 
up  so  unexpectedly  that  night.  But  for  that 
it  would  all  have  been  so  easy  and  simple! 

"  I  reckon  it  was ! "  Conrad  went  on  hotly. 
"  And  I  reckon  it  was  me  instead  of  the  steer 
you  rode  after  the  next  morning,  with  your 
knife  ready  when  I  looked  up.  And  I  reckon 
it  was  me  instead  of  the  steer  you  tried  to 
rope  when  you  made  that  remarkable  miss. 
I  Ve  been  a  fool  to  trust  a  damned  greaser, 
even  when  he  was  in  plain  sight.  But  look 


158        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

here,  Jose  Gonzalez !  "  Conrad  stopped  and 
glared  into  the  Mexican's  sombre  and  inscru- 
table eyes.  Holding  his  bleeding  left  arm  in 
his  right  hand  he  leaned  forward,  head  thrust 
out  and  eyes  blazing. 

"  Just  you  look  here,  Jose  Gonzalez ! "  he 
repeated.  "  I  'm  onto  your  little  game  now, 
and  if  I  can't  be  a  match  for  any  greaser  that 
ever  tried  to  stick  a  man  in  the  back,  I  '11  de- 
serve all  I  '11  get !  Just  come  on  and  try  it 
again  whenever  you  like !  Keep  at  work  with 
the  round-up  if  you  want  to  —  I  'm  not  going 
to  give  you  your  time  for  this.  But  I  am 
going  to  write  to  Dell  Baxter  that  I  'm  onto 
his  scheme  and  that  the  minute  you  make 
another  crack  at  me  there  '11  be  a  bullet  in 
your  brain  —  and  another  in  his  as  soon  as 
I  can  get  to  Santa  Fe  to  put  it  there,  and  that 
he  'd  better  call  you  off  if  he  wants  to  save 
his  own  skin.  But  if  you  can  get  me  with- 
out my  catching  on  first  you  're  welcome, 
that's  all!" 

The  rush  of  running  cattle  swept  across 
their  preoccupied  ears,  and  both  men  turned 
to  see  a  dozen  steers  sweep  past  the  other 
end  of  the  pond  and  up  the  hill. 

"  Quick,  Jose !  Help  me  head  them  off  and 
turn  them  into  the  pond !  "  Conrad  exclaimed 


BY  A  HAIR'S   BREADTH          159 

as  he  started  off  in  his  bare  feet.  His  long 
strides  covered  the  distance  quickly,  and  with 
hoots  and  yells  and  waving  arm  he  soon 
turned  their  course  down  the  hillside  toward 
the  water.  Gonzalez  was  close  behind,  and 
together  they  manoeuvred  the  frightened 
beasts  to  the  pond,  where  the  animals  forgot 
their  panic,  waded  in  quietly,  and  began  to 
drink. 

"  Jose,"  said  the  superintendent,  as  he  sat 
down  at  the  water's  edge  and  began  to  bathe 
his  muddy,  bleeding  feet,  "  I  shall  not  men- 
tion this  affair  to  any  one  here.  I  '11  say  that 
a  steer  horned  me  just  now.  I  Ve  broken 
my  collar  bone,  I  think,  and  I  Ve  got  this  cut 
in  my  arm,  and  I  '11  have  to  go  to  Golden  at 
once  to  get  patched  up.  When  I  come  back 
I  want  you  to  remember  what  I  just  told  you 
about  getting  daylight  through  your  skull  if 
you  try  any  of  your  tricks  on  me  again. 
There  comes  Red  Jack  after  these  cattle.  Go 
and  help  drive  them  back  to  camp." 


CHAPTER   XI 

BATTLING   THE   ELEMENTS 

THE  shadows  of  the  little  rolling  hills 
still  sprawled  across  the  intervening 
valleys  when  Curtis  Conrad  started 
back  at  a  gallop  over  the  road  which  his  out- 
fit had  been  slowly  traversing  for  four  days. 
To  his  foreman,  Hank  Peters,  he  had  said 
that  he  had  been  thrown  and  gored  by  a  steer 
and  must  go  to  Golden  to  have  his  collar  bone 
set,  and  ordered  him  to  stay  where  he  was, 
cutting  out  and  branding,  that  day  and  night, 
and  camp  the  day  after  at  Five  Cottonwoods, 
where  he  would  rejoin  them. 

The  men  puzzled  and  gossiped  about  the 
accident  to  their  employer.  "  I  don't  see  how 
it  was  possible,"  said  Peters,  "  for  such  a 
thing  to  happen  to  a  man  that 's  got  the  boss's 
gumption  about  cow-brutes." 

"  None  of  'em  was  on  the  prod  when  I  got 
to  the  pond,"  Red  Jack  declared.  "  Jose,  you 
was  with  him.  Did  you  see  the  scrimmage  ?  " 


BATTLING  THE  ELEMENTS      161 

"  I  did  not  see  the  boss  when  he  was  down," 
Gonzalez  replied  in  his  precise,  slightly  ac- 
cented English.  "  I  was  at  the  spring  and 
heard  him  yell  and  I  ran  down  to  the  pond 
at  once,  for  I  thought  he  needed  help.  I 
stumbled  and  fell  and  sprained  my  shoulder 
—  it  hurts  me  yet  —  so  that  when  I  reached 
the  pond  he  was  on  his  feet  again  and 
trying  to  drive  the  cattle  into  the  water.  I 
helped  him  and  then  we  went  back  to 
where  his  shoes  were.  That  was  where 
Jack  saw  us.  His  arm  bled  a  good  deal 
there." 

"  Somethin'  happened,"  observed  Hank 
Peters,  "  and  if  the  boss  says  it  was  a  steer 
on  the  prod,  I  sure  reckon  it  was.  But  the 
thing  that 's  troublin'  me  most  is  what  started 
them  critters  off.  I  did  n't  see  or  hear  a 
blamed  thing  likely  to  set  'em  goin'.  Did  any 
of  you?" 

"  I  did  n't,"  Texas  Bill  spoke  up;  "  but  Andy 
was  there  first.  Did  you  see  what  it  was, 
Andy?" 

Andy  Miller,  the  new  hand,  stopped  to 
draw  several  deep  whiffs  from  his  newly 
lighted  pipe  before  he  replied.  "  No ;  I 
could  n't  make  out  anything,  and  I  was  right 
at  the  edge  of  'em,  too.  They  jumped  and 


i6a        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

started  all  at  once,  as  crazy  as  I  ever  see  a 
bunch  of  critters." 

"  Mebbe  you  skeered  'em  some,  they  not 
bein'  used  to  you,"  suggested  Billy  Kid. 

Andy  grinned.  "  Well,  I  sure  ain't  boastin' 
none  about  the  beauty  of  my  phiz,  but  no  gal 
ain't  told  me  yet  that  I  was  ugly  enough  to 
stampede  a  herd  of  cow-brutes,"  and  the  sub- 
ject was  dropped  with  the  laugh  that  followed. 

Conrad's  mare,  larger  and  of  better  breed 
than  the  cow  ponies,  put  the  ground  rapidly 
under  her  feet  throughout  the  early  morning. 
Though  never  trained  for  range  work  and 
used  only  for  riding,  he  always  took  her  on 
the  round-up,  in  readiness  for  emergencies. 
His  habit  of  talking  to  himself,  engendered 
by  much  solitary  riding,  was  often  varied  by 
one-sided  conversations  with  the  mare,  and 
whatever  the  subject  which  occupied  his 
thoughts  and  found  fragmentary  utterance  in 
speech,  his  sentences  were  interspersed  with 
frequent  remarks  to  Brown  Betty.  Appar- 
ently she  found  this  custom  as  companionable 
as  he  did,  for  she  was  sure  to  protest  at  a 
long  period  of  silence. 

"  So,  ho,  my  pretty  Brown  B.,"  said  Conrad 
gently,  as  he  patted  the  mare's  sleek  neck, 
"  that 's  the  pace  to  give  'em !  "  A  sharp 


BATTLING  THE  ELEMENTS      163 

twinge  in  his  shoulder  set  his  lips  together, 
and  an  oath,  having  Congressman  Baxter  as 
its  objective,  came  from  between  his  teeth. 
"  I  '11  write  that  damned  Baxter  a  letter,"  he 
broke  out  savagely,  "  that  will  singe  his  eye- 
lashes when  he  reads  it !  " 

His  thoughts  went  back  to  the  subject  which 
so  frequently  occupied  them  —  his  lifelong, 
vengeful  quest  of  the  man  who  had  despoiled 
his  father,  wrought  destruction  upon  their 
home,  and  changed  the  current  of  his  own 
life.  His  heart  waxed  hot  as  he  recalled  his 
interview  with  Rutherford  Jenkins.  Never 
for  an  instant  had  he  doubted  that  Jenkins's 
statement  was  a  deliberate  lie.  Smiling 
grimly,  he  stroked  the  mare's  mane.  "  I  was 
a  fool,  was  n't  I,  Betty,  to  suppose  I  Jd  get 
straight  goods  out  of  him.  It  cost  me  five 
hundred  dollars  to  find  out  that  he  's  a  skunk, 
—  which  I  knew  before.  I  deserved  all  I 
got,  didn't  I,  Betty,  for  not  having  more 
gumption." 

The  frontiersman's  caution,  which  grows 
almost  instinctive  in  one  who  rides  much 
alone  over  plain  and  mountain,  sent  his  eyes 
now  and  again  to  search  the  long  stretch  of 
road  that  trailed  its  faint  gray  band  across 
the  hills  behind  and  before  him  and  to  scan 


164        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

the  sun-flooded  reach  from  horizon  to  hori- 
zon. A  red  stain  accentuated  the  meeting  line 
of  sky  and  plain  in  the  west. 

"  Betty  Brown,  do  you  see  that  red  mark 
yonder  ? "  he  said,  gently  pulling  her  ear. 
"  That  means  a  sand-storm,  and  we  've  got 
to  hike  along  at  a  pretty  stiff  pace  while  we 
can.  What  do  you  think  about  it,  my  lady?  " 
The  mare  raised  her  head  and  gave  a  little 
snort.  "Smell  it,  don't  you?"  he  went  on 
as  he  patted  her  approvingly.  "  Well,  that 's 
where  you  're  smarter  than  I  am,  for  I  reckon 
I  sha'n't  be  able  to  do  that  for  another  hour." 

He  fell  silent  again,  thinking  of  the  Dela- 
field  matter  and  Jenkins's  assertion  that  Ban- 
croft was  Delafield.  "  He  sure  knows  who 
Delafield  is,"  was  his  conclusion,  announced 
aloud,  "  but  he  's  not  going  to  tell.  He 's 
probably  blackmailing  the  man,  whoever  he 
is,  and  he  won't  take  any  chances  that  would 
be  likely  to  spoil  his  income.  Well,  that 
proves  that  Delafield  is  somebody  in  New 
Mexico  rich  enough  and  prominent  enough 
to  make  it  worth  while  for  Jenkins  to  keep 
his  knowledge  to  himself.  I  Ve  got  that  much 
for  my  five  hundred,  anyway.  Lord,  Betty, 
was  n't  I  a  tenderfoot !  "  and  he  swore  under 
his  breath,  half  angrily,  half  amusedly,  as  he 


BATTLING  THE   ELEMENTS      165 

turned  again  to  study  the  road  and  the  plain. 
The  heat  haze  was  rising,  and  the  clear  white 
sunlight  was  master  of  earth  and  sky.  Far 
to  one  side  he  noted  the  silvery  lake  of  a 
mirage.  But  the  red  line  had  mounted  higher, 
and  become  a  low,  dirty-red  wall  that  seemed 
to  fence  the  western  expanse  from  north  to 
south.  "  It  sure  looks  like  a  bad  one,  Betty, 
and  I  'm  afraid  we  shan't  be  able  to  get  home 
to-night  after  all.  But  we  '11  make  Adobe 
Springs  anyway,  if  it  does  n't  catch  us  too 


soon." 


The  pain  in  his  shoulder  brought  his  mind 
back  to  the  conviction  that  Baxter  had  in- 
stigated the  assault  upon  him,  and  he  began 
searching  for  the  motive.  Did  the  Congress- 
man think  his  political  opposition  important 
enough  to  make  his  taking  off  desirable? 
Suddenly  he  slapped  his  thigh  and  broke  out 
aloud :  "  Lord !  what  if  Baxter  should  be 
Delafield !  He  sure  ought  to  be  if  there  's 
anything  in  the  eternal  fitness  of  things.  If 
he  should  be  —  ah-h,"  and  he  broke  off  with 
a  hard,  unmirthful  laugh.  Ransacking  his 
memory  for  all  he  knew  of  Baxter's  life  he 
presently  shook  his  head  regretfully.  "  No ; 
the  facts  are  against  it.  There  's  nothing  in 
that  lead.  It 's  a  pity,  though,  for  it  would 


1 66        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

be  a  satisfaction  —  to  say  nothing  of  the  public 
benefit  —  to  knock  'em  both  off  the  roost  at 
one  pop."  His  mind  busied  itself  with  con- 
jectures about  Delafield's  identity,  as  he  con- 
sidered first  one  and  then  another  of  the  more 
prominent  men  in  the  Territory.  He  was 
silent  so  long  that  the  mare  tossed  her  head 
impatiently  and  whinnied.  Curtis  smiled  and 
stroked  her  mane. 

"  Hello,  old  girl !  "  he  said  aloud,  "  getting 
lonesome,  are  you,  and  you  want  to  be  talked 
to.  Oh,  you  're  spoiled,  Betty  B.,  that 's  what 
you  are.  We  '11  go  up  the  hill  and  see  Miss 
Bancroft,  won't  we,  Betty,  while  we  're  in 
Golden ;  and  we  '11  take  that  cactus  to  her, 
and  help  her  plant  it.  And  she  '11  come  out 
to  the  fence  to  see  you,  Betty ;  and  she  '11  give 
you  a  lump  of  sugar,  and  pat  your  nose,  and 
look  as  sweet  as  a  pink  rose  with  brown 
velvet  eyes.  She  's  a  bully  fine  girl  and  we 
like  her,  don't  we,  Betty  Brown?  The  way 
she  sticks  by  her  father  is  great ;  he  could  n't 
help  being  a  first-class  fellow,  could  he,  B.  B., 
with  such  a  daughter  as  that  ?  " 

The  red  wall  was  rising  in  the  sky,  devour- 
ing its  sunlit  blue  and  spreading  out  into 
smoky-red,  angry-looking  clouds.  A  high 
wind,  hot  and  dry,  swept  across  the  plain 


BATTLING  THE   ELEMENTS      167 

from  the  west.  All  the  cattle  within  Conrad's 
range  of  vision  had  turned  their  heads  to  the 
east  and,  although  they  were  still  grazing, 
moved  only  in  that  direction.  Seeing  a  herd 
of  antelope  headed  the  same  way,  Curtis  took 
the  red  bandanna  from  his  neck  and  waved 
it  toward  them.  As  the  bright  signal  floated 
in  the  wind  their  leader  turned,  stared,  and 
began  to  walk  back,  the  whole  herd  following 
with  raised  heads  and  gaze  fixed  in  fascinated 
interest.  He  flaunted  the  red  square  and  they 
came  steadily  on,  until  presently  the  warning 
of  danger  in  the  hot  wind  and  the  odor  of 
the  approaching  storm  overcame  the  compul- 
sion of  curiosity,  and  they  wheeled  again, 
away  from  the  threatened  peril. 

The  small  life  of  the  plain  was  fleeing 
before  the  furnace-like  breath  of  those  red, 
surging  clouds.  Jackrabbits  leaped  across  the 
road  on  fleet  legs,  and  occasionally  Conrad 
saw  coyotes,  singly  or  in  packs,  running  east- 
ward as  for  their  lives.  Fat  carrion  crows 
hurried  their  unwieldy  flight  and,  higher  in 
the  air,  a  frequent  lone  hawk  sailed  out  of 
the  west,  while  now  and  then  a  road-runner 
cut  across  his  path  with  hasting  feet. 

"  It 's  going  to  be  a  bad  one,  I  guess," 
Curtis  muttered,  jamming  his  soft  hat  down 


i68        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

closer  on  his  head.  The  mare  seemed  to  be 
trying  of  her  own  accord  to  escape  the  storm, 
and  her  swinging  lope  was  steadily  leaving 
the  miles  behind.  "  Keep  it  up,  Betty,  keep 
it  up,"  he  said  encouragingly.  "  I  want  to 
reach  Adobe  Springs  and  get  this  message 
to  Baxter  off  my  mind.  My  shoulder  's  ach- 
ing, old  girl,  but  it  ain't  aching  a  bit  more 
than  I  am  to  tell  him  what  I  think  of  him." 

Soon  the  sand-storm  was  upon  them,  con- 
cealing the  landscape  and  covering  the  sky 
with  its  clouds.  Upon  man  and  beast  it 
beat  as  bitterly  as  a  sand-blast.  It  pelted  and 
stung  Conrad's  face  and  neck,  and  filled  his 
eyes  and  ears  and  nostrils  until  he  was  forced 
now  and  again  to  pull  his  hat  over  his  face 
for  a  moment's  respite  in  which  to  draw  a 
less  choking  breath.  "  It  looks  as  if  all  Ari- 
zona had  got  up  and  dusted,  and  was  hell- 
bent to  get  out  of  here,"  he  jested  grimly, 
as  he  bent  over  the  mare's  neck  and  encour- 
aged her  with  voice  arid  gentle  stroke.  '  That 
shows  good  sense,  Betty,  though  it 's  mighty 
hard  on  us.  Come  right  along,  old  girl;  we 
must  get  to  Adobe  Springs." 

As  the  air  grew  thicker  there  shone  from 
the  sky,  instead  of  the  vivid  white  sunshine 
of  a  few  hours  before,  only  a  dim,  diffused, 


"  UPON    MAN    AND    BKAST    THK    SAND-STORM    BKAT    BITTERLY  " 


BATTLING  THE  ELEMENTS      169 

lurid  light.  Even  to  Curtis,  sitting  quarter- 
ing in  the  saddle  with  his  back  twisted  toward 
the  wind,  Brown  Betty's  ears  were  barely 
visible.  For  a  while  he  allowed  the  mare  to 
follow  the  road  herself,  until  he  found  that 
her  sense  of  duty  must  be  supplemented  by 
authority.  For,  under  the  discomfort  of  the 
belaboring  wind  and  stinging  sand,  she  began 
to  yield  to  her  instinct  to  turn  tail  and  drift 
before  the  storm.  Then  he  knew  that  he 
must  keep  a  firm  hand  on  the  bridle,  and  his 
attention  at  the  highest  pitch,  or  they  would 
soon  be  wandering  helplessly  over  the  plain. 
He  walked  long  distances  beside  the  mare,  with 
his  body  shielding  her  head  and  with  speech 
and  caress  keeping  up  her  courage.  Their 
progress  was  slow,  for  the  force  of  the  storm 
was  so  great  that,  though  it  beat  against  them 
from  the  side,  they  could  struggle  through 
it  only  at  a  walk. 

Hour  after  hour  went  by,  and  the  only  sign 
of  its  passage  was  that  a  dim,  yellowish  centre 
of  illumination,  that  had  once  been  the  sun, 
crept  slowly  across  the  sky.  As  the  day 
grew  older  Conrad's  pain  from  his  injury  be- 
came more  acute.  Most  of  the  time  he  felt 
it  only  as  an  insistent  background  to  the  keen 
outward  discomfort  of  stinging  sand  and 


i  ;o        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

pounding  wind.  But  when  an  occasional 
sharper  twinge  brought  it  more  vividly  to  his 
consciousness  he  swore  a  little  between  his 
teeth,  and  thought  of  the  letter  he  was  going 
to  write  to  Dellmey  Baxter.  The  particles  of 
sand  filled  his  hair  and  encrusted  his  face 
and  neck  until  they  were  of  a  uniform  brick- 
red.  Constant  effort  and  encouragement  were 
necessary  to  keep  Brown  Betty  in  the  road, 
and  finally  he  was  compelled  to  walk  at  her 
head  most  of  the  time  and  with  a  guiding 
hand  on  her  bridle  counteract  the  unflagging 
urge  of  her  instinct  to  drift  before  the  blast. 

Thus  they  battled  their  way  through  the 
hot,  beating  wind  and  suffocating  sand,  while 
that  vague  core  of  light  moved  athwart  the 
dirty  heavens,  dropped  slowly  down  the  west- 
ern sky,  and  was  swallowed  up  in  the  denser 
banks  of  dusk  above  the  horizon.  It  had  been 
too  dark  before  for  the  discernment  of  ob- 
jects, but  a  yellowish  glare  had  filtered 
through  the  sand-laden  air,  lending  a  lurid, 
semi-translucence  to  the  atmosphere.  Now 
even  that  was  gone,  leaving  a  desert  envel- 
oped in  pitchy  darkness,  while  the  wind  roared 
about  the  ears  of  the  travellers  and  pounded 
their  bodies  as  with  cudgels  and  the  sand 
pelted  their  skins. 


BATTLING  THE  ELEMENTS      171 

Most  of  the  time  Curtis  depended  upon  the 
feel  of  the  road  under  his  feet  to  maintain  his 
direction,  but  now  and  then  it  was  necessary 
for  him  to  get  down  on  his  hands  and  knees 
in  order  to  recover  the  track  from  which  they 
had  begun  to  stray.  Once  his  fingers  came 
in  contact  with  a  small  feathered  body.  The 
bird  tried  to  start  up  under  his  hand.  He 
knew  it  must  be  disabled  and  placed  it  inside 
his  shirt.  Thus  they  plodded  on  through  the 
night  and  the  stornij  the  pain  in  his  shoulder 
growing  keener  and  the  torture  of  the  wind 
and  sand  ever  more  nerve-racking. 

At  last  the  mare  raised  her  head  and  gave 
a  long  whinny.  Conrad  felt  sure  that  she 
was  announcing  their  near  approach  to  the 
food  and  shelter  within  the  adobe  houses. 
"  What  is  it,  Betty  ?  Do  you  know  where 
we  are  ? "  he  asked,  and  she  rubbed  her  nose 
against  his  face,  nickered,  and  pulled  at  the 
bridle  with  the  evident  desire  to  turn  from 
the  direction  they  were  pursuing.  Curtis 
knew  they  were  in  a  little  hollow,  and  thought 
it  might  be  that  into  which  the  road  dipped 
after  leaving  the  houses. 

"  All  right,  Betty,"  he  said.  "  I  '11  follow 
your  lead  a  little  way,  but  be  cautious,  old 
girl,  and  don't  tie  up  to  any  lying  hunches." 


1 72        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

He  slackened  his  hold  on  the  bridle,  and  the 
mare  started  off  eagerly.  They  climbed  a  hill, 
and  presently  Conrad  was  aware  of  a  black 
mass  before  him.  Putting  out  his  hand  he 
felt  an  adobe  wall.  The  mare  crowded  close 
against  it,  and  stopped.  She  had  left  the 
road,  which  took  the  hill  at  a  long  sloping 
angle  from  the  foot  of  the  rise,  and  had 
climbed  straight  up  the  steep  incline.  He  felt 
his  way  around  the  corner,  unfastened  the 
door,  and  entered.  An  emphatic  "  Whew !  " 
gave  vent  to  his  feeling  of  relief.  The  mare, 
close  at  his  heels,  snorted  in  response,  and 
Curtis,  smiling  in  the  dark,  threw  his  arm 
across  her  neck  in  fellowship  and  said,  "  Feels 
good,  does  n't  it,  Betty  B.,  to  get  out  of  that 
hurricane  from  hell  ?  " 

By  the  light  of  a  lantern  he  led  the  mare 
to  the  spring,  stabling  her  afterward  in  one 
of  the  houses.  "  In  the  best  society,  Betty 
Brown,"  he  explained,  "  it 's  not  considered 
good  form  for  horses  to  sleep  in  men's  houses. 
But  you  deserve  the  best  I  can  give  you  to- 
night, blest  if  you  don't,  old  girl,  and  you 
shall  have  it,  too."  He  gathered  together, 
for  her  food  and  her  bed,  the  alfalfa  hay 
from  several  of  the  bunks,  and  found  for  her 
also  a  small  measure  of  oats.  Then,  having 


BATTLING  THE  ELEMENTS      173 

attended  to  her  wants,  he  looked  about  for 
something  to  stay  his  own  hunger. 

It  was  his  custom  to  keep  some  canned 
provisions  in  the  place,  as  the  station  was 
much  used  by  his  men.  On  a  little  smoulder- 
ing fire  in  one  corner  of  the  room,  he  made 
some  tea  in  a  tin  can.  A  frying-pan  hung 
against  the  wall,  and  in  it,  awkwardly  fum- 
bling with  his  one  useful  hand,  he  contrived 
to  warm  a  stew  of  tinned  chile  con  came 
and  pilot  bread.  Fine  sand  drifted  in  and 
settled  in  a  red  dust  over  the  food  as  he 
ate,  and  he  could  feel  its  grit  between  his 
teeth. 

The  bird  he  had  carried  in  his  bosom  he 
found  to  be  a  Southwestern  tanager.  Its 
pinkish-red  plumage  shone  with  a  silvery  radi- 
ance in  the  lamplight.  One  of  its  legs  was 
broken,  and  one  wing  had  been  injured.  "  I  '11 
take  it  to  Miss  Bancroft,"  he  said  aloud,  "  and 
she  '11  care  for  it  till  it  can  shift  for  itself 
v  again,  poor  little  devil ! " 

With  intense  satisfaction  Conrad  at  last 
sat  down  to  the  letter  in  which  he  had  all 
day  been  longing  to  express  his  feelings.  "  I 
wonder,"  he  thought,  "  if  Dellmey  Baxter  did 
it  because  he  don't  like  the  things  I  say  about 
him.  Well,  he  '11  have  to  get  used  to  it,  then, 


174        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

for  I  'm  not  going  to  quit."     There  was  a 
grim  smile  on  his  face  as  he  wrote: 

"  I  consider  it  the  square  thing  to  tell  you  that 
I  am  onto  the  game  of  your  man,  Jose  Gonzalez. 
We  had  our  first  set-to  this  morning,  in  which  he 
winged  me,  but  I  got  the  best  of  him.  I  could  have 
killed  him  if  I  had  wanted  to,  but  he  is  such  a  good 
cowboy  I  hated  to  do  him  up.  I  am  going  to  keep 
him  in  my  employ,  but  I  want  you  to  understand, 
distinctly,  that  if  he  makes  another  crack  at  me  I 
shall  go  to  Santa  Fe  as  quick  as  I  can  get  there 
and  make  a  Christmas  gift  of  you  to  the  devil  be- 
fore you  know  what 's  happening. 
"  Yours  truly, 

"  CURTIS  CONRAD. 

"  P.  S.  I  am  still  shouting  for  Johnny  Martinez 
for  Congress.  C.  C." 

'*  There ! "  he  exclaimed,  as  he  sealed  the 
envelope  and  threw  it  down  contemptuously; 
"  I  sure  reckon  he  won't  be  so  anxious  for 
me  to  turn  up  my  toes  with  my  boots  on  after 
he  reads  that." 

The  pain  in  Conrad's  arm  and  shoulder  had 
become  so  keen  that  he  could  not  sleep.  He 
lay  in  his  bunk  listening  to  the  rattling  of 
the  door  and  the  rage  of  the  wind  against 
the  house,  seeking  to  keep  his  mind  from  the 
stabbing  pain  long  enough  to  sink  into 


BATTLING  THE  ELEMENTS      175 

unconsciousness.  But  no  sooner  did  his  eye- 
lids begin  to  close  down  heavily  than  a  fresh 
throb  made  him  start  up  again  wide  awake. 
This  irritated  him  more  than  did  the  other 
suffering,  and  finally  he  jumped  up  angrily, 
found  a  copy  of  Lecky's  "  History  of  European 
Morals,"  and,  with  the  muttered  comment, 
'  This  is  about  what  I  need  to-night,"  settled 
himself  on  an  empty  cracker  box  and  read 
the  night  away.  Toward  morning  he  became 
aware  that  the  wind  was  abating,  and  a  little 
later  that  less  sand  was  drifting  into  his 
retreat. 

Breakfast  was  eaten  and  Brown  Betty  cared 
for  by  lamplight  and  with  the  first  dim  rays 
of  morning  he  set  out  once  more  upon  the 
road.  The  bird  was  again  in  his  bosom,  and 
the  cactus,  wrapped  in  old  newspapers,  rested 
at  the  back  of  his  saddle.  The  storm  had 
passed,  but  the  air  was  still  full  of  dust  parti- 
cles through  which  the  sun  shone,  red  and 
smoky.  Curtis  knew  that  these  would  settle 
gradually  with  the  passing  hours  and  the  sky 
become  as  clear  as  usual.  Already  he  could 
see  the  road  for  several  rods  in  front  of  him, 
and  that  was  all  he  needed  to  keep  it  flying 
under  Brown  Betty's  feet. 

At  the  ranch  house  Mrs.  Peters  told  him 


176        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

that  a  man  had  been  there  looking  for  work 
and  described  his  appearance.  "Yes;  he 
overtook  us  at  Rock  Springs,  and  I  hired 
him,"  Conrad  said.  Then,  remembering  the 
account  Andy  Miller  had  given  of  his  previ- 
ous situation,  he  asked  her  if  the  man  had 
said  where  he  came  from. 

"No,"  she  replied;  "he  didn't  say  where 
he  'd  been  working ;  but  he  came  from  toward 
Golden." 

The  superintendent  thought  the  discrepancy 
rather  curious,  but  decided  it  was  nothing 
more  than  a  not  unusual  cowboy  eccentricity 
of  statement.  He  resumed  his  journey  with 
no  misgivings,  and  mid-afternoon  found  him 
arguing  with  the  physician  at  Golden  that  he 
might  just  as  well  start  back  to  the  round-up 
that  same  night. 


CHAPTER   XII 

THE   FIRST   SHOT 

ALEXANDER  BANCROFT  sat  in  his 
private  room  with  Curtis  Conrad's 
return  checks  before  him.  They  were 
not  many:  one  in  favor  of  his  brother  at  the 
University  of  Michigan,  one  for  a  mail  order 
house  in  Chicago,  a  small  one  to  a  New  York 
publishing  concern,  —  and  his  eyes  fell  upon 
the  name  of  Rutherford  Jenkins  and  the 
amount,  —  five  hundred  dollars.  He  stared 
at  the  slip  of  paper  for  a  moment,  conviction 
rushing  to  his  mind  that  his  pursuer  knew 
the  truth ;  then  he  took  his  revolver  from  his 
pocket  and  examined  its  chambers.  "  I  may 
have  to  do  him  up  myself ! "  he  thought,  his 
lips  tightening.  But  sudden  hesitation  gripped 
his  heart.  Until  within  a  few  weeks  he  had 
considered  Curtis  one  of  his  best  friends,  had 
liked  the  young  cattleman  whole-heartedly, 
admiring  and  enjoying  his  impulsiveness,  his 
geniality,  his  ardent  loyalty  to  his  friends,  and 
his  equally  ardent  hostility  to  those  he  disliked. 

12 


178        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

Now  the  good-fellowship  he  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  feel  stopped  his  hand.  "  Can  it  be 
possible,"  he  asked  himself  for  the  hundredth 
time,  "  that  this  eager-hearted,  companionable 
fellow  will  really  carry  out  his  deadly  pur- 
pose ?  "  He  recalled  the  intensity  with  which 
Conrad  had  spoken  of  his  long  quest  for  re- 
venge, his  vehemence  toward  his  enemies,  his 
impetuosity.  Again  conviction  grew  strong 
upon  him  that,  when  the  man  knew,  the  end 
would  come.  The  frontier  code  by  which  he 
had  lived  so  long  nerved  his  heart,  and  he 
muttered,  "  He  shan't  smash  things  —  now ! 
I  '11  smash  him  before  I  '11  let  him  do  that ! " 
He  swung  the  revolver  into  position  and 
took  sight.  As  his  eye  glanced  down  the 
barrel  he  saw  that  it  was  pointing  at  Lucy's 
pictured  face,  smiling  down  from  the  top  of 
his  desk;  his  hand  shook  as  he  laid  down  the 
weapon.  There  was  a  knock  at  the  door,  and 
he  made  sudden  pretence  of  close  attention 
to  the  papers  before  him.  The  door  partly 
opened  and  he  heard  Conrad's  voice  outside. 
Surety  of  imminent  peril  seized  Bancroft's 
mind.  The  instinct  of  self-defence  sent  his 
hand  to  his  revolver,  and  he  sprang  up,  pull- 
ing the  trigger.  Curtis  rushed  in  at  the  re- 
port, calling  out,  "What 's  the  matter,  Aleck?" 


THE  FIRST  SHOT  179 

The  banker  had  just  time  to  stay  his  finger 
at  sight  of  the  friendly  face  and  solicitous 
manner. 

"  I  did  n't  hurt  you,  did  I,  Curt?  "  he  asked 
anxiously,  sinking  back  in  his  chair  and  look- 
ing at  Conrad's  arm,  helpless  in  a  sling.  The 
bullet,  they  found,  had  nicked  the  top  of  the 
door  and  buried  itself  in  the  ceiling.  "  I  was 
looking  my  revolver  over  when  you  knocked," 
Bancroft  explained,  "  and  had  just  been  aim- 
ing at  that  spot  on  the  wall.  My  finger  must 
have  pulled  the  trigger  unconsciously.  The 
thing  's  set  to  a  hair,  anyway.  I  must  have 
it  fixed.  What 's  the  matter  with  your  arm, 
Curt?" 

In  the  revulsion  of  feeling  that  swept  over 
him  as  he  realized  that  the  cattleman  was  as 
friendly  as  ever  and  that  therefore  his  secret 
was  still  safe,  he  felt  genuinely  thankful  that 
his  bullet  had  gone  wild. 

Conrad  told  of  his  fight  with  Jose  Gonzalez. 
"  You  're  getting  the  truth  about  it,  Aleck," 
he  went  on ;  "  but  to  everybody  else  I  'm  say- 
ing that  I  got  horned  by  a  steer,  knocked  over, 
and  my  collar  bone  cracked.  I  'm  convinced 
it 's  some  of  Dell  Baxter's  work.  I  reckon 
I  've  been  saying  out  loud  just  what  he  is  too 
often  to  please  him.  But  the  letter  I  Ve  sent 


i8o        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

him  will  buffalo  him  quick  enough.  Jose  's 
a  good  cowboy,  and  I  'm  going  to  keep  him. 
But  I  don't  want  the  boys  to  know  anything 
about  our  little  scrap.  So  I  'm  saying  it  was 
a  steer  on  the  prod  that  did  it." 

Bancroft's  thoughts  were  active  as  he 
lighted  his  cigar.  That  check  —  it  must  have 
been  Castleton  money,  to  be  handled  for 
Johnny  Martinez.  Perhaps  security  might 
still  be  compassed  without  bloodshed.  In 
thankfulness  that  he  had  not  killed  the  man 
who  was  still  his  friend  he  revolted  against 
the  purpose  of  the  Mexican,  to  which  he  knew 
in  his  soul  he  had  given  tacit  consent.  He 
did  not  want  this  cordial,  confiding,  good 
fellow  struck  down  —  if  his  own  safety  could 
be  otherwise  secured. 

'  You  'd  better  give  the  Mexican  his  time, 
Curt.  He 's  locoed  probably ;  when  you  get 
back  you  may  find  he 's  killed  half  your 
men." 

''  Well,  if  he  tries  running  a-muck  in  that 
gang,"  the  superintendent  responded  cheer- 
fully, "  he  '11  never  do  anybody  else  any  harm. 
Anyway,  I  've  settled  him  for  the  present ; 
I  busted  his  knife  and  threw  the  pieces  into 
the  pond.  No ;  he 's  in  Dell's  pay ;  that 's  all 
there  is  to  it;  and  when  Dell  reads  my  letter 


THE  FIRST  SHOT  181 

he  '11  hike  to  call  his  man  off.  I  don't  expect 
any  more  trouble  from  Jose." 

Bancroft  made  no  reply  and  Conrad  went 
on :  "  By  the  way,  Aleck,  for  a  full  minute 
yesterday  I  thought  Baxter  must  be  my  man 
—  the  man  I  'm  after,  you  know  —  Delafield. 
I  've  found  out  that  he  's  somebody  rich  and 
respectable  here  in  New  Mexico,  and  when 
I  felt  that  Baxter  must  be  responsible  for 
this  attack  on  me,  I  lit  on  him  for  my  meat. 
But  it  was  too  good  to  be  true;  as  soon  as 
I  thought  it  over  I  saw  that  Baxter  could  n't 
be  Delafield.  But  they  're  two  of  a  kind  all 
right.  Both  of  'em  have  got  their  freight 
loaded  ready  to  pull  out  for  hell  at  the  drop 
of  a  hat.  Baxter  will  have  to  pull  his  in  less 
than  three  jumps  of  a  bucking  horse  if  he 
does  n't  call  off  his  man.  And  Delafield  will 
be  pulling  his  mighty  soon  anyway." 

Bancroft  made  a  gesture  of  annoyance. 
"  Curt,  you  talk  too  easily  about  killing. 
You  'd  make  a  stranger  think  you  're  a  bad 
man  of  the  border,  instead  of  the  decent  citi- 
zen you  are.  For  Heaven's  sake,  man,  why 
don't  you  come  to  your  senses,  and  see  what 
an  ass  you  '11  be  making  of  yourself  if  you  try 
to  carry  out  this  fool  scheme  of  revenge  that 's 
gt»t  hold  of  you?  Why  don't  you  accept  his 


182        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

offer  to  pay  back  the  money  as  fast  as  he  can  ? 
Let  him  make  restitution,  and  keep  a  whole 
skin ;  perhaps  you  '11  save  your  own  scalp  in 
the  bargain." 

The  seeker  after  vengeance  laughed  blithely. 

"  Aleck,  you  've  no  idea  what  this  thing 
means  to  me.  Why,  man,  you  talk  as  if 
giving  up  that  plan  would  be  no  more  than 
changing  my  coat!  You  don't  know,  Aleck 
—  why,  to  get  the  drop  on  Delafield  and  hold 
him  while  I  tell  him  what  he  is  in  language 
that  will  scald  him  from  head  to  foot,  and 
then  deal  out  to  him  the  death  he  deserves  - 
that 's  the  one  thing  I  've  lived  for  all  these 
fifteen  years !  I  'm  obliged  to  you  for  your 
advice,  Aleck;  but  I  know  what  I  'm  about." 

Bancroft  shrank  away  a  little  as  Curtis 
talked.  His  lips  tightened  as  he  picked  up 
the  revolver  and  sighted  it  at  a  calendar 
on  the  wall.  After  a  moment's  silence  he 
looked  the  other  full  in  the  eye  and  said, 
impressively : 

"  You  forget  one  thing,  Curt.  If  this  man 
Delafield  knows  what  you  are  doing  —  and 
you  seem  to  feel  sure  he  does  —  he  '11  be  pre- 
pared for  your  attack,  and  you  're  not  likely 
to  have  things  your  own  way.  Unless  he  's 
a  fool  or  a  coward  he  '11  defend  himself,  even 


THE  FIRST  SHOT  183 

if  he  has  to  kill  you  doing  it.  And  if  he  has 
any  sabe  at  all  he  '11  be  loaded  for  you  when 
you  get  there,  and  have  the  drop  on  you  be- 
fore you  can  say  a  word." 

"  Chances  of  war,"  Conrad  replied  serenely. 
"  He  's  welcome  to  all  he  can  get.  But  I  'm 
betting  my  last  dollar,  and  my  scalp  in  the 
bargain,  that  he  can't  draw  as  quick  as  I  can, 
nor  shoot  as  straight.  You  bet  your  life, 
Aleck,  when  that  circus  comes  off  I  '11  be  the 
star  performer." 

"Well,"  said  Bancroft  slowly,  "if  you 
won't  listen  to  reason  I  suppose  you  '11  have 
to  go  on,  hell-bent,  in  the  gait  you  've  struck 
—  and  take  the  consequences.  But  you  're 
a  fool  to  do  it,  and  I  hate  to  see  you  making 
such  a  blind  ass  of  yourself." 

Curtis  laughed,  undisturbed.  '  That 's  all 
right,  Aleck.  I  don't  expect  you  to  get  the 
joy  out  of  this  business  that  I  shall." 

He  went  over  to  Bancroft's  desk  and 
picked  up  the  revolver,  examining  its  sights. 
"  They  're  not  right,  Aleck,"  he  said.  "  When 
I  get  the  use  of  my  arm  again  I  '11  fix  them 
for  you.  And  you  don't  use  your  gun  right 
when  you  want  to  take  quick  aim:  you  don't 
swing  it  up  quickly  and  steadily,  as  if  you 
were  used  to  it.  You  ought  to  practise,  Aleck. 


184        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

Out  here  a  man  never  knows  when  he  may 
have  to  defend  himself.  I  Ve  got  to  stay  here 
several  days,  the  doctor  says ;  and  while  I  'm 
here  I  '11  show  you  a  few  tricks." 

"  All  right,  if  you  like,"  Bancroft  replied, 
adding,  as  he  pocketed  his  revolver,  "  I  'm 
not  a  very  good  shot  and,  as  you  say,  out 
here  a  man  never  knows  when  he  may  have 
to  defend  himself." 

Conrad,  turning  to  go,  lingered  awkwardly. 
"  By  the  way,  Aleck,"  he  blurted  out,  "  it  has 
occurred  to  me  that  perhaps  you  are  getting 
tied  up  with  Dell  Baxter  too  tight  for  com- 
fort. I  don't  want  to  seem  curious  about  your 
affairs,  you  know,  and  I  have  n't  got  any  big 
pile  —  you  know  what  my  balance  is ;  but 
whatever  I  have  got  you  're  welcome  to,  any 
time,  if  you  want  to  cut  loose  from  Baxter 
and  it  will  help  any." 

Bancroft  hid  a  grim  smile  behind  the  hand 
at  his  moustache  as  he  thought  of  sundry 
checks  of  his  own  making  their  way  toward 
Conrad's  balance.  "  Thank  you,  Curt ;  it  fs 
very  kind  and  thoughtful  of  you  to  make  the 
offer,  and  I  appreciate  it.  But  I  don't  need 
anything.  Baxter  and  I  are  in  partnership 
in  a  number  of  enterprises,  but  it 's  all  straight 
sailing." 


THE  FIRST  SHOT  185 

"  That 's  good,  and  I  'm  glad  to  hear  it.  I 
was  afraid  he  'd  got  you  under  his  thumb. 
But  remember,  Aleck,  that  my  small  pile  is 
at  your  disposal  any  time  it  will  be  of  use  to 
you." 

As  the  young  man  left  the  bank  he  saw 
Lucy  Bancroft  turn  the  corner  toward  the 
Mexican  quarter  and  was  quickly  at  her  side, 
relieving  her  of  the  little  bundle  she  car- 
ried. She  was  going  to  Senora  Melgares,  she 
explained,  who  could  wash  laces  and  embroid- 
eries and  all  kinds  of  dainty  things  beauti- 
fully with  amole  root.  She  was  taking  her 
some  of  Miss  Dent's  and  her  own  fineries,  and 
hoped  to  get  her  a  great  deal  of  work  from 
others.  '  The  poor  thing !  "  said  Lucy  ear- 
nestly, her  eyes  wide  and  soft  with  sympathy. 
"  She  is  so  heartbroken  over  the  affair ! 
You  Ve  heard  ?  Mr.  Gaines  died  the  other 
day,  and  Melgares  has  been  indicted  for  mur- 
der. My  father  says  he  '11  surely  be  found 
guilty  and  will  probably  be  hanged.  The  poor 
senora ! " 

When  they  reached  the  little  adobe  house 
Lucy  asked  Curtis  to  go  in  with  her,  saying, 
"  I  'm  not  very  sure  of  my  Spanish,  and  I  'd 
be  glad  to  have  you  come  in  and  help  me 
out."  They  found  Senora  Melgares  sitting 


i86        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

with  her  head  buried  in  her  arms,  her  hair 
dishevelled,  and  her  face,  when  she  raised  it, 
eloquent  of  grief  and  despair.  But  she  greeted 
them  with  grave  and  gracious  courtesy.  Lucy 
impulsively  took  her  hand  and  held  it  in  both 
her  own  while  she  presented  Senor  Conrad. 
At  the  name  the  woman  drew  her  slight  fig- 
ure together  with  a  convulsive  movement,  her 
dark  face  lighting  with  interest. 

"  Don  Curtis?  Senor  Don  Curtis  Conrad?" 
she  asked  eagerly. 

'  The  same,  sefiora,"  he  answered  in  Span- 
ish, bowing  gravely. 

'  The  same  whose  mare  —  ?  "  she  began, 
her  expressive  countenance  finishing  the 
query.  Conrad  bowed  again.  The  woman 
sank  down  in  her  chair,  her  face  in  her 
hands,  swaying  back  and  forth  as  she  moaned 
and  sobbed.  Lucy  knelt  by  her  side  to  com- 
fort her,  while  Curtis  bent  over  the  girlish 
figure  and  spoke  in  a  low,  changed  tone  that 
the  girl  barely  recognized,  so  different  was 
it  from  his  usual  brisk  utterance.  It  set  her 
nerves  vibrating  in  quick,  half-conscious  con- 
viction of  a  depth  and  quality  of  feeling  in 
harmony  with  her  own. 

"  I  am  afraid  I  made  a  mistake  by  coming 
in,  Miss  Bancroft,"  he  said.  "  It  did  not  occur 


THE  FIRST  SHOT  187 

to  me  that  she  would  connect  me  with  her 
husband's  trouble.  Won't  you  please  tell  her, 
when  she  is  quieter,  that  I  am  very  sorry 
about  the  whole  affair,  that  I  have  no  feeling 
against  him,  and  that  I  '11  gladly  do  for  him 
whatever  I  can.  I  think  I  'd  better  go  now, 
but  I  '11  wait  outside  for  you,  and  if  I  can 
be  of  any  use  you  must  call  me." 

When  Lucy  joined  him  a  little  later  her 
face  showed  signs  of  tears,  and  as  they 
walked  back  she  was  preoccupied  and  per- 
turbed. She  wished  to  see  her  father,  so 
Curtis  left  her  at  the  door  of  the  bank. 

"  Daddy !  "  Lucy  exclaimed  as  she  rushed 
to  his  side,  her  eyes  shining  and  her  face 
aglow.  "  Oh,  daddy,  Senora  Melgares  has 
just  told  me  the  strangest  thing!  Mr.  Con- 
rad was  with  me,  but  he  went  out  because 
she  cried  so,  and  he  did  n't  hear  what  she 
said.  I  tried  to  quiet  and  comfort  her,  and 
finally  she  told  me  that  her  husband  had  been 
persuaded  and  paid  to  steal  Mr.  Conrad's 
horse  by  a  man  who  said  he  wanted  to  get 
even  with  him  for  something.  She  told  me 
his  name  —  you  and  Mr.  Tillinghurst  and 
Judge  Banks  were  talking  about  him  the 
other  day  —  Mr.  Jenkins  —  Don  Rutherford 
Jenkins,  she  called  him." 


188        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

Anticipation  warmed  Bancroft's  heart  as 
she  spoke.  If  the  story  was  true  it  might 
give  him  just  the  hold  on  Jenkins  that  he 
wanted.  He  made  her  repeat  the  details  of 
her  conversation  with  the  Mexican  woman. 
"  Did  you  say  anything  about  it  to  Conrad?  " 
he  asked  in  conclusion. 

"  No,  daddy;  I  thought  I  ought  to  tell  you 
about  it  first." 

"  Quite  right,  Lucy.  You  were  very  pru- 
dent. And  don't  mention  it  now,  to  him  or 
to  anybody." 

"  No,  of  course  not.  But,  daddy,  won't 
that  make  it  better  for  poor  Jose  Maria  ?  Mr. 
Jenkins  is  the  one  that  ought  to  be  punished 
—  he  and  Mr.  Baxter;  and  poor  ignorant 
Melgares  ought  to  be  let  off  very  easily. 
Don't  you  think  so,  daddy?" 

One  of  her  hands  rested  on  his  shoulder. 
He  took  the  other  in  both  of  his  as  he  smiled 
at  her  indulgently.  Her  news  had  so  heart- 
ened him  that  he  hardly  noticed  her  connec- 
tion of  Baxter  with  the  affair.  "  I  don't  know 
about  that,  daughter.  It  is  n't  likely  to  have 
any  effect,  because  his  indictment  is  for  mur- 
der—  you  know  he  killed  Gaines  while  re- 
sisting arrest  —  and  his  motive  in  stealing 
the  horse  has  no  connection  with  that  crime. 


THE  FIRST  SHOT  189 

I  'm  glad  you  told  me  about  it,  dear.  I  '11  talk 
with  Melgares  myself,  and  see  what  can  be 
done.  I  suppose  his  wife  must  be  having  a 
hard  time.  You  might  give  her  some  money. 
And  ask  her,"  he  said  as  he  handed  Lucy 
some  bills,  "  not  to  speak  about  this  Jenkins 
matter  to  any  one  else.  Be  sure  you  impress 
that  upon  her.  It 's  a  pretty  bad  case,  but 
you  can  tell  his  wife  that  everything  possible 
will  be  done  for  him.  Dell  Baxter  is  coming 
down  to  undertake  his  defence;  he  does  it 
for  nothing.  So  you  must  n't  think  so  badly 
of  him  hereafter,  when  you  see  how  willing 
he  is  to  make  what  amends  he  can  to  the 
poor  fellow." 

Lucy  threw  her  arms  about  his  neck  and 
kissed  his  forehead.  "  Daddy,  you  're  awfully 
good  and  kind  —  the  best  man  in  the  world ! 
About  Mr.  Baxter,  though  —  "  she  paused  to 
toss  her  head,  and  a  little  sparkle  shone  in 
her  eyes  —  "  well,  I  'm  glad  he  has  the  de- 
cency to  do  it,  but  it 's  no  more  than  he 
ought;  and  before  I  think  much  better  of 
him  I  '11  wait  to  see  if  he  drives  any  more 
of  the  poor  Mexicans  out  of  their  homes." 

Bancroft  began  to  plan  hopefully.  He 
would  see  Melgares  and  get  the  exact  facts. 
If  this  story  was  true  it  would  be  just  the 


190        THE   DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

sword  he  needed  to  hang  over  Jenkins.  Evi- 
dently he  had  told  Conrad  nothing ;  therefore 
that  check  must  have  been  campaign  money 
from  Ned  Castleton  to  be  used  for  the  benefit 
of  Martinez.  Jenkins  would  not  be  likely  to 
talk:  it  would  ruin  his  chance  of  making 
money  out  of  it  himself.  As  for  Curtis  — 
perhaps,  after  all,  he  would  not  be  unrea- 
sonable about  the  offer  to  make  restitution. 
Another  check  would  reach  him  soon,  with 
assurance  of  more  to  follow  speedily.  Surely 
the  man  was  too  sensible  to  cast  aside  such 
a  start  in  life  as  this  money  would  give  him, 
just  to  carry  out  a  crazy  notion  that  would 
end  in  his  own  ruin. 

"  But  if  he  will  go  on,  he  '11  have  nobody 
but  himself  to  blame  for  whatever  hap- 
pens," he  thought.  "  I  Ve  given  him  fair 
warning." 

The  encouragement  he  felt  turned  his 
thoughts  toward  Louise  Dent.  In  the  inti- 
macy of  their  daily  life  since  she  had  been 
Lucy's  visitor  he  had  found  her  ever  more  lov- 
able. He  began  to  think,  as  he  looked  into  her 
eyes  and  felt  the  restrained  sweetness  of  her 
manner,  that  when  he  should  be  free  to  speak 
she  would  welcome  his  feeling,  and  have  for 
it  an  intoxicating  return.  But  he  could  say 


THE  FIRST  SHOT  191 

nothing  until  the  settlement  of  this  affair  left 
no  further  danger  of  discovery  and  disgrace. 

"  She  must  not  know  —  neither  she  nor 
Lucy  shall  know  —  never  —  never  a  word  or 
hint,"  he  thought  desperately.  True,  Louise 
was  not  so  unsparing  in  her  moral  judgments 
as  Lucy;  she  was  older,  and,  with  more  knowl- 
edge of  the  world,  had  more  tolerance  for  the 
conditions  under  which  men  lived  and  worked. 
But  if  all  that  past,  the  past  that  he  had  be- 
lieved buried  beyond  resurrection,  should  sud- 
denly confront  him,  she  and  Lucy  would  be 
horrified.  They  would  despise  him.  The  re- 
spect, honor,  and  love  for  which  he  hungered 
would  die ;  if  they  stayed  beside  him  it  would 
only  be  for  compassion's  sake.  In  the  fierce 
mood  that  possessed  him  as  he  thought  of 
going  down  again  into  dishonor  he  was  ready 
to  strike  out  at  anybody's  pity.  This  thing 
must  not  be.  He  had  won  his  way  back  to 
position,  power,  affluence;  he  held  the  love 
and  honor  of  his  daughter  and  of  the  woman 
he  hoped  to  make  his  wife;  what  he  had  won 
he  would  keep.  His  lips  whitened  as  he  struck 
the  desk  with  his  clenched  fist. 

"  The  past  is  dead,  and  it 's  got  to  stay 
dead,"  he  muttered.  "  I  '11  win  out  yet,  by 
God!" 


CHAPTER     XIII 

THE   SECOND   SHOT 

FOUR  days  later  the  physician  gave  Con- 
rad dubious  permission  to  return  to  the 
round-up.     "  Well,  I  may  as  well  say 
you  can  go,"  he  surrendered,  "  since  you  are 
determined  to  go  anyway.     But  don't  blame 
me  if  your  wounds  get  worse." 

Most  of  this  time  the  cattleman  spent  at 
the  Bancrofts',  where  Lucy  and  Miss  Dent 
tried  to  make  an  invalid  of  him,  and  all  three 
enjoyed  the  comradeship  that  straightway 
sprang  up  among  them.  Between  Lucy  and 
Curtis  there  was  much  bantering  gayety,  but 
when  alone  their  talk  was  sure  to  flow  into 
serious  channels.  They  had  many  long  con- 
versations, wherein  each  was  deeply  inter- 
ested in  everything  the  other  said.  They  had 
much  music  also,  Miss  Dent  playing  and  the 
others  singing  duets.  Lucy  was  very  happy. 
She  beamed  and  sparkled,  with  glowing  eyes 
and  dimpling  smiles,  and  her  manner,  the 
whole  being  of  her,  expanded  into  maturer 


THE  SECOND   SHOT  193 

womanliness.  Between  Miss  Dent  and  Con- 
rad there  was  from  the  first  a  mutual  lik- 
ing, which  quickly  developed  into  confidential 
friendship.  On  his  last  day  in  town,  while 
helping  Lucy  water  the  plants  in  her  con- 
servatory, he  spoke  to  her  admiringly  of  Miss 
Dent. 

"  I  'm  so  glad  you  like  my  Dearie !  "  she 
responded  warmly,  looking  up  at  him  with 
a  glow  of  pleasure.  "  She 's  the  dearest, 
sweetest  woman!  And  you  always  feel  you 
can  depend  on  her.  If  you  put  your  hand 
out  you  always  know  just  where  you  can  find 
Louise  Dent,  and  you  know  she  '11  be  as  firm 
as  a  rock.  She  's  been  so  good  to  me !  And 
she  's  always  so  restful  and  calm  —  she  has 
so  much  poise.  But,  do  you  know  — "  she 
hesitated  as  she  stopped  in  front  of  the  cage 
that  held  the  tanager  Curtis  had  brought  for 
her  care.  His  physician  had  splinted  its 
broken  leg  and  bound  its  injured  wing,  and 
together  they  were  anxiously  watching  its  re- 
covery. "  It 's  been  eating,  Mr.  Conrad !  " 
she  broke  off  joyously.  "  Let 's  give  it  more 
seeds  and  fresh  water !  "  As  they  ministered 
to  the  bird's  needs  Curtis  went  on  about  Miss 
Dent. 

"  Yes ;  she  seems  to  have  a  calm  sort  of 
13 


194 

nature,  but  when  I  look  at  her  I  find  myself 
wondering  if  that  is  because  she  has  never 
been  moved  very  deeply,  or  because  she  keeps 
things  hidden  deep  down.  Her  eyes  are  set 
rather  close  together,  which  generally  means, 
you  know,  an  ability  to  get  on  the  prod  if 
necessary;  and  sometimes  there  is  a  look  in 
them  that  makes  you  feel  as  if  she  might 
break  out  into  something  unexpected." 

Lucy  was  looking  up  at  him  with  the  keen- 
est interest  in  her  face.  The  southwestern 
sun  had  kissed  her  skin  into  rich  browns  and 
reds,  and  she  carried  gracefully  her  slender 
girlish  figure.  Her  head,  with  its  covering 
of  short  brown  curls,  always  held  alertly,  gave 
to  her  aspect  a  savor  of  piquant  charm.  Curtis 
looked  down  into  her  upturned  face  and  eager 
eyes  with  admiration  in  his  own.  Under  her 
absorption  in  the  subject  of  their  talk  she  felt 
herself  thrill  with  sweet,  vague  happiness. 

"  Do  you  know,  I  've  been  feeling  that 
very  same  thing  about  Dearie,"  she  said  in 
confidential  tones.  "  She  seems  more  restless 
lately,  although  I  know  she  's  perfectly  happy 
here  with  us.  She  has  just  the  same  quiet, 
gentle  manner,  but  it  seems  as  if  there  might 
be  a  volcano  under  it  —  not  really,  you  know, 
but  as  if  there  might  be  if  —  if  —  I  don't 


THE  SECOND  SHOT  195 

quite  know  how  to  say  it —  if  things  just  got 
ready  for  it  to  be  a  volcano !  " 

"  Do  you  think  anybody  would  know  it," 
asked  Conrad,  "  even  if  it  was  really  there?  " 

"  I  know  what  you  mean  —  yes,  she  has 
wonderful  self-control  —  I  never  saw  any- 
body who  could  hide  her  feelings  as  she  can, 
and  always  does.  I  Ve  been  thinking  lately 
that  if  Dearie  were  in  love  — "  Lucy  hesi- 
tated a  moment  while  a  deeper  glow  stained 
her  cheek  —  "  she  's  just  the  sort  of  woman 
to  do  anything,  anything  at  all,  for  the  sake 
of  it." 

'  Yes ;  and  not  get  excited  over  it,  either," 
added  Curtis. 

When  Lucy  went  to  attend  to  some  house- 
hold duties,  Conrad  sauntered  out  to  the  ver- 
anda, where  he  found  Miss  Dent  with  her 
sewing.  He  happened  to  refer  to  his  boy- 
hood; and  she  asked  some  questions  that  led 
him  to  speak  of  his  youthful  struggles.  She 
was  interested,  and  wanted  to  know  the  cause 
of  his  father's  financial  ruin.  He  hesitated 
before  replying,  the  matter  touched  so  nearly 
the  secret  core  of  his  life  and  thought.  Few, 
even'  among  his  intimates,  knew  anything 
about  the  vengeful  purpose  that  had  motived 
half  his  life,  and  he  disliked  ordinarily  to 


196        THE   DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

say  anything  about  the  cause  of  his  early  mis- 
fortunes. But  the  habit  of  close  and  friendly 
speech  into  which  he  and  Louise  had  fallen, 
coupled  perhaps  with  a  softening  of  feeling 
toward  her  sex  that  had  been  going  on  within 
him,  moved  him  to  openness.  "  It  won't  mat- 
ter/' he  thought.  "  She  's  such  a  level-headed 
woman ;  and  I  Ve  told  Aleck  already." 

"  I  don't  often  speak  about  it,"  he  said, 
"  but  I  don't  mind  telling  you,  for  you  are 
such  a  good  friend  of  the  Bancrofts,  and 
Aleck  knows  the  story.  Of  course,  you  '11 
understand  that  I  don't  care  to  have  it  dis- 
cussed generally.  My  father's  disasters  all 
came  from  his  getting  caught  in  a  specious 
financial  scheme  engineered  by  one  Sumner 
L.  Delafield  of  Boston." 

An  indrawn  breath,  sharp  and  sudden,  made 
him  look  quickly  at  his  companion.  "  Have 
you  hurt  yourself  ?  "  he  asked  solicitously. 

"  Oh,  I  jabbed  my  needle  under  my  thumb 
nail.  Such  an  awkward  thing  to  do !  It  gave 
me  a  little  shock,  that's  all.  Go  on,  please. 
What  sort  of  a  scheme  was  it?  " 

He  told  her  briefly  the  story  of  his  father's 
ruin  and  death,  and  outlined  the  transactions 
that  led  to  Delafield's  failure.  As  he  spoke 
his  heart  waxed  hot  against  the  man  who  had 


THE  SECOND  SHOT  197 

caused  the  tragedy,  as  it  always  did  when  he 
thought  long  upon  the  subject,  and  he  went 
on  impulsively  to  tell  her  of  his  long-cherished 
purpose  of  revenge.  She  listened  with  drooped 
eyelids,  and  when  she  spoke,  at  his  first  pause, 
there  was  a  slight  quaver  in  her  voice. 

'  You  don't  mean  that  you  really  intend  to 
kill  the  man  ?  " 

"  I  do,  that  very  thing.  What 's  more,  it 's 
my  notion  that  killing  is  too  gentle  for  his 
deserts.  For,  of  course,  my  case  is  only  one 
out  of  many.  And  any  man  who  would  de- 
liberately bring  ruin  and  death  into  so  many 
households  —  don't  you  think  yourself  he  's 
worse  than  any  murderer  ?  " 

She  forced  herself  to  raise  her  eyes  and, 
once  she  had  met  his  gaze,  her  own  was 
cool  and  steady.  But  if  Curtis  had  not 
been  so  absorbed  in  their  discussion  he 
might  have  seen  that  her  face  was  paler 
than  usual  and  her  manner  nervous,  as  she 
replied  earnestly: 

"  But  you  forget,  Mr.  Conrad,  that  the  man 
had  no  intention  of  doing  these  things,  and 
that  probably  he  involved  himself  in  as  much 
financial  disaster  as  he  did  others.  I  Ve  heard 
of  the  case  before;  I  knew  some  people  once 
who  —  were  concerned  in  it  —  who  lost  money 


198        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

by  it  —  and  I  Ve  always  understood  that  the 
failure  was  due  more  to  Delafield's  sanguine 
temperament  and  over-confidence  in  his  plans 
than  to  any  deliberate  wrong-doing.  Don't 
you  think,  Mr.  Conrad,  that  killing  is  a 
rather  severe  punishment  for  mistakes  of 
judgment?  " 

He  answered  with  the  rapid  speech  and 
quick  gestures  he  was  wont  to  use  when  under 
the  stress  of  strong  feeling.  "  I  can't  take  that 
lenient  view  of  the  case,  Miss  Dent.  My  con- 
viction is  that  he  got  some  money  out  of  the 
affair,  though  not  as  much  as  he  is  generally 
supposed  to  have  taken,  and  ran  away  with 
it.  I  've  studied  the  case  pretty  thoroughly, 
and  I  've  trailed  him  along  from  one  place 
to  another  for  years.  I  'm  hot  on  his  tracks 
now ;  and  he  knows  it.  I  Ve  followed  him 
into  New  Mexico,  and  I  know  he  's  somebody 
in  this  Territory,  prosperous  and  respectable. 
He  can't  escape  me  much  longer." 

She  had  been  thinking  intently  as  she 
studied  the  expression  of  his  face.  "  It 's  not 
worth  while  to  try  argument  or  persuasion 
with  him;  opposition  would  only  make  him 
obstinate,"  was  her  conclusion.  Her  manner 
was  as  composed  as  usual,  and  only  her  eyes 
showed  a  trace  of  anxiety  as  she  spoke, 


THE  SECOND  SHOT  199 

slowly  and  thoughtfully,  her  gaze  searching 
his  countenance: 

"  Well,  if  you  say  you  are  going  to  take 
revenge  upon  him  in  this  savage  way  I  sup- 
pose you  will  do  it  —  if  that  chin  of  yours 
means  anything.  You  haven't  asked  my 
opinion,  but  I  'm  going  to  tell  you  anyway 
that  it  seems  to  me  unwise  and  unjust  and 
most  unworthy  of  you  to  allow  such  an  idea 
to  become  the  obsession  that  this  one  has.  But 
I  want  to  know  how  you  managed  to  keep 
your  family  together.  That  was  a  wonderful 
thing  for  a  boy  of  fifteen  to  do." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  deserve  so  much  credit  for  it. 
Of  course,  I  could  n't  have  done  it  without 
help.  Our  guardian  wanted  to  distribute  us 
children  around  among  the  relatives;  but  I 
wouldn't  have  it  that  way,  and  begged  so 
hard  that  at  last  he  gave  in.  Two  of  my 
father's  cousins  lent  money  enough  to  pay  off 
the  mortgage  on  our  home,  on  our  guardian's 
representation  that  he  should  be  able  to  save 
enough  out  of  the  wreck  to  pay  it  back  in 
time.  He  did  so;  and  we  children  kept  a 
roof  over  our  heads. 

"  A  cousin  of  my  mother's,  a  widow  with- 
out children,  offered  to  live  with  us  and  keep 
house.  We  rented  part  of  the  place  and  lived 


200        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

in  close  quarters  in  what  was  left.  I  worked 
like  a  Turk  at  anything  and  everything  that 
brought  in  a  penny;  and  so,  all  together,  we 
had  enough  to  eat  and  wear,  and  I  was  able 
to  keep  the  girls  and  Homer  in  school.  I 
went  to  night  school  and  sat  up  reading  any- 
thing I  could  get  my  hands  on  when  I  ought 
to  have  been  in  bed.  It  was  hard  sledding 
sometimes,  but  we  pulled  through.  And  I 
had  good  friends  who  saw  that  I  was  never 
out  of  a  job  of  some  sort. 

"  After  a  while  our  cousin  married  again 
and  left  us ;  but  by  that  time  my  sisters  were 
old  enough  to  take  charge  of  the  housekeeping, 
and  we  got  on  very  well.  Ten  years  ago  they 
both  married,  and  I  said  to  Homer :  '  Let 's 
sell  the  house  and  give  the  money  to  the  girls ; 
you  and  I  can  shift  for  ourselves,  and  we 
don't  want  them  to  go  to  their  husbands  with 
nothing  at  all/  The  kid  was  game,  and  so 
we  sold  the  place  and  divided  the  money 
between  Helen  and  Jeannette.  Then  I  put 
Homer  in  school  and  struck  out  for  myself. 
I  've  sent  him  to  college,  and  he  '11  be  gradu- 
ated next  year.  But  he  's  worked  right  along, 
and  helped  himself  a  heap.  There  's  sure  good 
stuff  in  the  lad. 

"  This  Summer  I  'm  not  going  to  let  him 


THE  SECOND  SHOT  201 

work;  the  rest  of  the  way  is  clear  enough 
now,  and  I  want  him  to  come  down  here 
with  me,  and  learn  to  rope  a  steer  and  bust 
a  bronco  and  go  camping,  and  have  a  good 
out-doors  time  of  it  for  his  last  college 
vacation." 

As  she  listened  with  her  eyes  fixed  upon 
his  face,  Miss  Dent's  attention  had  been  half 
upon  his  story  and  half  upon  the  man  be- 
hind it,  searching  out  his  character  through 
his  words.  The  conviction  settled  in  her 
mind  that  his  vengeful  intention  was  rooted 
deep,  and  that  the  more  he  talked  of  it  the 
more  set  would  he  become  in  his  purpose. 

"  I  like  your  story,"  she  said.  "  It  is  one 
of  those  tales  of  human  effort  that  make  one 
have  more  faith  in  human  nature.  But  the 
climax  you  intend  to  put  upon  it  is  —  hor- 
rible ! "  He  noticed  the  slight  movement  of 
repulsion  with  which  she  spoke  the  word. 
"  But  that 's  your  affair,"  she  went  on.  "  Did 
I  understand  you  —  did  you  say  —  "  In  spite 
of  her  self-control  she  was  stumbling  over  the 
question.  She  masked  her  momentary  confu- 
sion with  an  absorbed  interest  in  getting  her 
sewing  together.  "  Did  you  say  that  Mr. 
Bancroft  knows  —  that  you  have  told  him  this 
story?" 


202        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

"  Yes ;  I  told  him  the  outlines  of  it  a  little 
while  ago,  apropos  of  a  check  I  had  from 
Delafield.  The  rascal  thinks  he  can  buy  me 
off  that  way.  That  shows  he 's  buffaloed. 
But  he  '11  find  out  I  'm  not  that  sort." 

"No;  I  shouldn't  think  you  were.  But 
Lucy  —  does  she  know  anything  about  it?" 

He  looked  up  in  surprise.  "  Why,  no ;  of 
course  not." 

Bancroft  was  coming  through  the  gate, 
bringing  Judge  Banks  with  him;  and  Lucy 
joined  them  a  moment  later.  The  talk  turned 
on  the  coming  trial  of  Jose  Maria  Melgares, 
the  narrow  escape  of  Pendleton  from  Mel- 
gares' bullet,  and  the  death  of  Games  as  the 
result  of  his  own  foolhardy  horse-play.  They 
spoke  of  Little  Jack  Wilder's  skill  with  the 
revolver,  and  Conrad  reminded  Bancroft  of 
their  agreement  to  do  some  target  practice 
together. 

"  Let 's  all  go  out  in  the  back  yard  now," 
Lucy  exclaimed,  "  and  Miss  Dent  and  I  will 
shoot  too!  Wouldn't  you  like  it,  Dearie? 
Come  on !  it  will  be  such  fun ! " 

While  they  were  setting  up  the  target 
Sheriff  Tillinghurst  came  to  speak  to  Judge 
Banks  upon  an  official  matter;  and  Lucy 
asked  him  to  stay  and  help  her  shoot. 


THE  SECOND  SHOT  203 

"  You-all  use  my  gun,  Miss  Lucy,  and  then 
you  '11  be  sure  to  have  good  luck,"  he  replied, 
drawing  his  revolver  from  his  pocket.  It  was 
a  small  pearl-handled  six-shooter,  which  the 
ladies  admired,  and  the  men  jibed  at  for  its 
daintiness. 

"  That 's  all  right,"  he  answered  good- 
naturedly.  "  This  gun  don't  stack  up  much 
beside  a  cannon  for  size,  but  I  can  pervade 
and  pester  with  it  a  right  smart  heap  if  I 
want  to.  It 's  a  peach  of  a  shooter,  and  it 
don't  show  in  my  clothes.  I  never  have  any- 
thing on  me  but  that,  and  I  've  never  seen 
the  gun  play  yet  where  I  got  the  worst  of 
it.  You-all  try  it,  Miss  Lucy." 

Lucy  took  the  revolver,  telling  him  that 
now  she  would  be  his  deputy,  and,  with  plen- 
tiful instruction  from  Curtis,  placed  herself 
in  position  and  fired.  She  hit  the  bull's-eye 
and  won  much  applause,  until  she  explained 
that  she  had  fired  with  both  eyes  shut  and 
that,  if  she  had  made  a  good  shot,  it  was 
because  she  could  n't  help  it  with  such  a  splen- 
did gun  as  Mr.  Tillinghurst's.  Miss  Dent 
took  careful  aim  and,  without  lowering  her 
arm,  emptied  the  remaining  chambers,  mak- 
ing an  excellent  score.  She,  too,  won  a  round 
of  applause,  to  which  she  replied  calmly,  "  Oh, 


204        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

I  've  known  how  to  shoot  for  years,  and  when 
I  am  in  practice  I  do  fairly  well." 

"  You  two  fellows  shoot  a  match,"  said 
Tillinghurst  to  Bancroft  and  Conrad.  "  The 
judge '11  be  umpire,  and  each  fellow  use  his 
own  gun  at  thirty  paces." 

Louise  and  Lucy  stood  at  one  side,  where 
the  Sheriff  and  Judge  Banks  joined  them, 
leaving  Bancroft  and  Conrad  to  begin  their 
match.  Beneath  her  calm  exterior  Miss 
Dent's  thoughts  were  in  a  tumult,  and  fierce 
resentment  against  the  cattleman  was  rising 
in  her  heart.  Had  not  Aleck  suffered  enough 
already?  Why  should  he  be  hunted  down 
like  this  when  he  was  willing  to  make  resti- 
tution, even  after  all  these  years  ?  Oh,  cruel ! 
to  beat  him  down  again,  when  he  had  won 
success  and  respect  once  more!  This  man 
was  a  savage  in  his  implacable  desire  for 
revenge. 

Curtis  raised  his  revolver.  With  both  eyes 
open  and  without  pausing  to  take  aim,  he 
sent  a  bullet  through  the  bull's-eye.  "  Dela- 
field  won't  have  much  chance  against  a  man 
who  can  do  that ! "  he  exclaimed  in  a  tri- 
umphant undertone  to  Bancroft. 

As  the  test  of  skill  went  on,  it  developed 
that  the  banker  excelled  if  he  took  time  to 


THE  SECOND  SHOT  205 

aim  accurately,  while  he  of  Socorro  Springs 
was  the  superior  at  quick  shooting. 

"  It 's  my  specialty  in  the  shooting  line," 
said  Curtis.  "  You  'd  better  practise  it,  Aleck. 
It 's  the  thing  that  counts  most  if  you  get 
into  a  scrimmage." 

He  handed  his  hat,  a  wide-brimmed,  gray 
felt,  to  Judge  Banks,  asking  him  to  throw  it 
up,  adding,  "  I  'd  do  it  myself  if  my  left  arm 
was  n't  in  dry  dock/'  He  raised  his  revolver 
as  the  hat  left  the  judge's  hand;  there  were 
three  quick  reports,  and  he  sprang  forward 
and  caught  the  descending  sombrero  on  the 
muzzle  of  his  pistol.  The  three  perforations 
in  the  crown  of  the  hat  were  so  close  together 
that  a  silver  dollar  covered  them. 

"  Bravo !  "  exclaimed  the  judge.  "  I  don't 
know  but  two  other  men  who  can  do  that. 
Little  Jack  Wilder  never  misses  the  trick,  and 
Emerson  Mead,  over  at  Las  Plumas,  does  it 
as  if  he  were  a  machine  and  could  n't  miss. 
If  you  ever  get  a  grudge  against  me,  Mr. 
Conrad,  I  '11  engage  the  undertaker  and  order 
my  tombstone  at  once !  " 

Bancroft  turned  away  quickly.  He  swung 
his  arm  upward,  fired,  and  found  that  his 
bullet  had  hardly  nicked  the  outer  rim  of  the 
target. 


206        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

"  Don't  pay  any  attention  to  your  gun," 
Curtis  admonished  him.  "  Keep  both  eyes 
open,  look  at  the  bull's-eye,  and  unconsciously 
you  '11  aim  right  at  it.  If  you  get  into  a  gun 
play,  where  it 's  a  choice  between  giving  up 
the  ghost  yourself  or  getting  the  other  fel- 
low's, you  want  to  fasten  your  eyes  on  his 
most  accessible  part,  point  your  gun  that  way, 
and  shoot  on  the  wink.  Between  the  eyes  is 
a  good  place,  for  then  you  can  hold  him  with 
your  own.  That 's  the  way  I  shall  fix  Dela- 
field,"  he  added,  dropping  his  voice. 

Cold  anger  seized  upon  Bancroft  as  the 
picture  of  that  gun  muzzle  close  to  his  own 
forehead  came  vividly  into  his  imagination. 
Until  now  Conrad  had  not  mentioned  the  sub- 
ject of  Delafield  to  him  since  the  day  of  his 
return  to  town,  and  the  banker's  friendly  feel- 
ings had  renewed  themselves  with  the  growth 
of  his  own  confidence  and  with  his  desire  to 
compass  what  he  wished  without  violence.  But 
Curtis  had  only  to  speak  of  his  purpose  in 
this  cold-blooded  manner  for  the  banker  to 
know  that  he,  too,  was  rapidly  becoming  as 
implacable  as  his  pursuer. 

Judge  Banks  was  talking  to  Miss  Dent 
about  the  view  and  the  New  Mexican  climate, 
and  quoting  Wordsworth  on  "  the  witchery  of 


THE  SECOND  SHOT  207 

the  soft  blue  sky."  She  was  compelling  an 
expression  of  smiling  interest,  while  her 
thoughts  were  with  Bancroft  and  his  danger. 
The  desire  possessed  her  to  stand  near  him, 
to  hover  about  him,  as  if  her  mere  presence 
would  protect  him  from  peril.  The  friendly 
revolver  practice  between  the  two  men  made 
her  sick  at  heart,  and  she  was  waiting  with 
inward  impatience  for  the  moment  when  she 
could  propose  returning  to  the  veranda. 

Lucy  and  Sheriff  Tillinghurst  were  laugh- 
ing and  talking  together  in  a  running  game 
of  playful  coquetry  on  her  part  and  admir- 
ing badinage  on  his.  "  Now,  Miss  Lucy,"  he 
was  saying,  "  if  you-all  are  going  to  be  my 
deputy,  you  '11  have  to  learn  to  shoot  with  at 
least  one  eye  open.  I  can't  have  my  deputy 
shootin'  around  promiscuous  with  both  eyes 
shut.  It  might  be  used  against  me  in  the 
campaign." 

"  Oh,  I  '11  keep  both  eyes  open,  just  as  Mr. 
Conrad  says,"  she  exclaimed,  taking  the  Sher- 
iff's revolver  from  his  hand.  '  Just  like  this," 
she  went  on  gayly,  pointing  the  pistol  straight 
at  Curtis's  face  as  he  came  toward  them,  say- 
ing, "  Now  you  must  have  another  chance, 
Miss  Bancroft." 

Tillinghurst  sprang  forward  as  he  saw  her 


208        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

level  the  revolver  and  struck  it  up  with  his 
hand.  Her  pressure  on  the  trigger  had  been 
light,  but  the  contraction  of  her  finger  as  the 
Sheriff  knocked  it  upward  discharged  the 
weapon.  The  bullet  sang  through  the  air; 
and  she  paled  and  staggered  backward,  look- 
ing wildly  from  one  to  the  other  as  she 
exclaimed : 

"  Oh,  I  was  sure  it  was  n't  loaded !  " 

"  A  gentleman's  gun  is  always  loaded,  Miss 
Lucy/'  said  the  Sheriff,  mild  reproof  in  his 
tone. 

Lucy  leaned,  trembling,  against  Miss  Dent's 
supporting  arm.  "I  —  I  was  sure  we  shot 
out  all  the  bullets,"  she  stammered,  looking 
wistfully  at  Conrad.  "  I  '11  never,  never  touch 
a  gun  again." 

"  Don't  feel  so  worried,  Miss  Bancroft," 
urged  Curtis,  gently.  "  You  were  n't  pressing 
the  trigger,  and  I  'd  have  ducked  if  you  had, 
for  I  was  watching  your  hand.  I  was  n't  in 
the  least  danger,  and  you  must  n't  think  about 
it  again.  It  '11  be  your  turn  next,  Miss  Dent," 
he  added  jocosely.  "  Aleck  had  his  the  other 
day,  and  sent  a  bullet  into  the  wall  just  above 
my  head." 

"  And  you  still  have  confidence  in  us, 
you  reckless  man ! "  Louise  exclaimed  with 


THE  SECOND  SHOT  209 

a  little  effort  at  gayety,  but  with  eyes  on  the 
ground. 

"  Perhaps  he  thinks  he  '11  be  in  less  danger 
if  he  teaches  you-all  how  to  handle  your  guns," 
the  Sheriff  commented,  as  Miss  Dent  led  the 
way  back  to  the  house. 


CHAPTER   XIV 

THREE   LETTERS 

HELLO,  Curt !    When  are  you  going 
back  to  the  ranch  ?  " 
Pendleton,    the    invalid    from    the 
East,  accosted  Conrad  as  he  emerged  from 
the  physician's  office,  where  he  had  gone  for 
a  last  dressing  of  his  wounds  before  return- 
ing to  the  round-up. 

"  Right  now,  Mr.  Pendleton.  Anything  I 
can  do  for  you  ?  " 

"  Say,  Curt,  I  've  been  wondering  if  I 
could  n't  flirt  gravel  along  with  your  bunch 
for  a  while.  I  want  to  take  in  everything 
that 's  going  while  I  'm  here.  I  've  never  been 
on  a  ranch,  or  seen  a  round-up,  or  a  steer  on 
the  prod ;  and  I  'd  like  to  see  how  things  are 
done.  Would  a  tenderfoot  be  in  your  way?  " 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it !  Come  right  along,  Pendy, 
if  you  think  you  can  stand  it.  You  '11  have 
to  rough  it,  you  know;  sleep  on  the  ground 
with  your  saddle  for  a  pillow,  ride  hard,  and 
eat  what  comes." 


THREE  LETTERS  211 

"  Oh,  I  can  stand  whatever  the  rest  of  you 
do.  I  don't  fork  a  horse  as  well  as  a  cowboy 
or  a  circus  rider,  but  I  can  stick  on,  ajid  I 
can  get  there  'most  as  soon  as  anybody  —  I 
mighty  near  got  there  too  soon  when  we  went 
after  Melgares,  did  n't  I  ?  " 

"  All  right,  Pendleton !  If  you  think  you 
can  stand  it,  come  right  along  with  me  this 
morning.  I  'm  going  to  ride  the  rest  of  the 
day  and  most  of  the  night ;  but  if  that 's  too 
much  for  you  you  can  stop  over  at  the  ranch 
to-night,  and  catch  up  with  us  to-morrow." 

"  I  reckon  I  '11  take  it  all  in  along  with  you, 
and  I  '11  meet  you  in  half  an  hour  in  front  of 
the  court-house,"  and  Pendleton  bustled  off. 
Conrad  went  after  his  mare,  dropping  into 
Bancroft's  office  for  a  last  word. 

The  president  of  the  First  National  Bank 
was  reading  his  morning's  mail.  He  frowned 
over  a  note  from  Rutherford  Jenkins  remind- 
ing him  that  the  first  of  the  month  was  ap- 
proaching, and  warning  him  not  to  forget  the 
remittance  due  on  that  day.  He  looked  at  the 
calendar.  No ;  he  could  not  take  time  before 
the  first  to  go  to  Las  Vegas  and  crack  the 
whip  he  was  preparing  over  Jenkins's  head; 
he  would  have  to  make  this  payment.  Next 
he  opened  a  letter  from  Dellmey  Baxter: 


212        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

"  MY  DEAR  BANCROFT  :  —  I  think  you  'd  better 
correct  young  Conrad's  curious  notion  that  I  had 
anything  to  do  with  Jose  Gonzalez's  attack  upon 
him,  or  with  Jose's  going  down  there.  If  you  don't 
he  might  turn  his  suspicions  in  some  other  direction. 
Of  course,  there  's  nothing  in  it  but  that  greaser's 
bad  temper.  But  he  thinks  there  is,  and  he  's  just 
hot-headed  enough  to  make  it  uncomfortable  for 
anybody  he  happens  to  suspect.  I  did  n't  send  Jose 
to  him  and  so,  naturally,  I  can't  do  anything  about 
it,  even  if  the  fellow  does  get  angry  and  act  like 
the  devil. 

"  I  'm  sorry  I  can't  help  you  in  your  desire  to 
retire  from  our  Rio  Grande  valley  land  business. 
I  'm  tied  up  so  that  I  Ve  got  no  ready  money  with 
which  to  buy  you  out.  Of  course,  if  you  are  deter- 
mined to  get  out,  you  might  find  a  purchaser  else- 
where. But  as  a  friend  I  advise  you  not  to  sell. 
There 's  going  to  be  big  money  in  it,  and  we  can 
probably  launch  the  enterprise  within  the  next  six 
months.  You  '11  make  a  great  mistake  if  you  quit. 
If  you  decide  to  stay  in  I  'm  willing  for  you  to 
keep  on  as  a  silent  partner,  just  as  we  have  done 
so  far." 

The  banker  scowled,  swearing  softly  to 
himself  as  he  read  the  first  paragraph. 
"  Did  n't  send  him,  did  n't  he,"  he  grumbled. 
"  Then  who  did?  I  did  n't,  that 's  sure.  He 
recommended  the  fellow  as  a  good  cowboy, 


THREE  LETTERS  213 

and  Conrad  engaged  him.  I  had  nothing  to 
do  with  it."  He  was  silent  again  as  he  studied 
the  second  part  of  the  letter.  A  suspicion 
rose  in  his  mind  that  Baxter  was  purposely 
making  it  difficult,  almost  impossible,  for  him 
to  get  out  of  the  land  scheme.  What  was  his 
purpose  in  so  doing?  Did  the  Congressman 
wish  to  keep  a  hold  on  him  to  hamper,  per- 
haps even  to  control,  his  movements ?  "I 
wonder,"  Bancroft  thought,  "  if  Dell  is  afraid 
I  '11  try  to  cut  him  out  politically  before  he  's 
ready  to  step  down.  I  'd  like  his  place  well 
enough  if  —  but  that 's  something  out  of  my 
reckoning  for  a  long  time  yet,  even  if  every- 
thing goes  right."  The  surmise  that  Baxter 
wished  to  have  such  a  bridle  upon  him  left 
him  uneasy.  Well,  he  would  have  to  let  this 
thing  go  on  as  it  was.  If  he  tried  to  sell  to 
any  one  else  knowledge  of  his  connection  with 
it  might  leak  out  and  reach  Lucy's  ears.  He 
winced  as  he  thought  of  her  feeling  toward 
Baxter  because  of  this  business.  And  the  in- 
vestment promised  well;  rich  returns  might 
be  expected  from  it  soon.  Nobody  knew  of 
his  part  in  it  except  Dell,  and  if  he  stayed  in 
and  kept  quiet  it  was  unlikely  that  anybody 
else  would  find  it  out.  That  might  be  the 
safer  plan,  after  all. 


2H        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

Conrad  came  to  the  door,  and  after  a  few 
minutes'  talk  Bancroft  said  to  him,  remem- 
bering Baxter's  injunction,  "  Well,  Curt,  I 
hope  you  won't  find  that  your  crazy  Mexican 
has  been  trying  to  kill  off  all  your  men." 

Curtis  laughed.  "  Oh,  Jose  will  be  all 
right ;  and  he  's  the  best  cow-punch  I  've  got 
on  the  ranch.  Dell  Baxter  will  attend  to 
him." 

"  That 's  an  absurd  notion  of  yours  that 
Baxter  had  anything  to  do  with  it,"  replied 
Bancroft,  the  Congressman's  letter  still  in  his 
mind.  "  You  're  not  reasonable  about  Dell. 
Why  should  he  want  you  assassinated?" 

"  The  only  reason  I  can  see  is  that  I  've 
been  talking  pretty  plain  about  him.  But  if 
he  does  n't  like  the  kind  of  things  I  say  he  '11 
have  to  get  used  to  it,  or  else  reform." 

"  Nonsense,  Curt.  And  even  if  he  does 
think  you  're  handling  the  Castleton  money 
against  —  " 

Curtis  made  a  gesture  of  impatience.  "  I 
hope  you  don't  take  any  stock  in  that  talk, 
Aleck.  The  Castletons  don't  care  a  hang 
about  this  campaign,  and  Dell  knows  it. 
They  're  not  putting  up  a  cent,  or,  if  Ned  is 
doing  anything  for  his  wife's  sake,  he  's  deal- 
ing with  Johnny  Martinez  direct." 


THREE  LETTERS  215 

Bancroft  looked  at  him  narrowly.  "  Is  that 
right,  Curt?  Are  you  sure  of  it?" 

"  As  sure  as  I  am  of  anything,"  the  cattle- 
man responded  with  emphasis.  '  They  Ve 
never  mentioned  the  subject  to  me." 

After  Conrad  had  gone  the  banker  walked 
the  floor  in  anxious  thought.  What,  then,  did 
that  five-hundred-dollar  check  mean  that  Cur- 
tis had  given  to  Jenkins?  Perhaps  he  was 
holding  the  young  man  off,  saying  he  was 
not  yet  sure  of  Delafield's  identity  and  needed 
money  to  carry  on  his  investigation,  intend- 
ing to  give  up  his  secret  if  he  should  find 
that  he  could  bleed  Bancroft  no  longer.  That 
would  be  like  Jenkins,  he  decided.  As  soon 
as  he  could  get  away  he  would  go  to  Las 
Vegas  and  see  if  the  fellow  could  be  cowed 
by  the  knowledge  that  had  come  to  him  so 
opportunely.  As  for  Conrad,  it  would  be 
better  to  wait  until  he  could  learn  whether 
those  checks  would  produce  the  effect  desired. 

In  front  of  the  court-house  the  ranchman 
met  Tillinghurst  and  Little  Jack  Wilder.  The 
Sheriff  had  a  subpoena  commanding  him  to 
appear  as  a  witness  for  the  State  in  the  Mel- 
gares  trial,  set  for  June.  Curtis  remarked, 
as  they  talked  of  the  case :  "  I  reckon  you  '11 
have  Pendleton  as  a  witness ;  he  '11  want  to 


2i6        THE   DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

take  in  the  whole  thing.  Have  you  seen  any- 
thing of  him  ?  He  promised  to  meet  me  here. 
He  's  going  back  with  me ;  says  he  wants  to 
take  in  a  round-up  and  see  a  steer  on  the 
prod.  I  sure  reckon  I  '11  have  my  hands  full 
if  I  keep  the  boys  from  taking  him  in." 

"  Let  'em  run  him,  Curt,  let  'em  run  him," 
said  the  Sheriff.  "  He  's  good-natured,  and 
he  '11  soon  strike  their  gait.  He  was  never 
outside  -  of  New  England  before,  and  he 's 
tryin'  mighty  hard  to  be  tougher  than  any- 
body else  on  the  border.  He  's  been  in  town 
three  weeks,  and  he  calls  everybody  by  their 
first  names,  from  Judge  Banks  down  to  my 
Mexican  stable-boy.  He  writes  down  all  the 
slang  he  hears  every  day,  sits  up  nights  to 
study  it,  and  the  next  day  slings  it  around 
as  free  and  easy  as  an  old-timer.  Is  that  him 
comin'  yonder  ?  Say,  Curt,  he  '11  stampede 
every  cow-brute  you  Ve  got  on  the  range !  " 

Pendleton,  short,  stout,  and  large  of  girth, 
had  dressed  himself  for  roughing  it  accord- 
ing to  his  own  idea  of  custom  and  comfort. 
He  wore  a  Mexican  straw  sombrero  tied  down 
over  his  ears  with  a  red  bandanna,  a  red 
flannel  shirt,  a  long  linen  coat,  huge  spurs, 
and  sheepskin  chaparejos. 

"Oh,  where  did  you  get  that  coat?"  the 


THREE  LETTERS  217 

three  men  sang  out  as  he  came  within  hear- 
ing distance.  Pendleton  caught  the  tails  in 
his  finger  tips  and  danced  some  sidewise  steps. 

"Ain't  she  a  beaut?"  he  shouted.  "I 
found  it  in  a  store  down  in  Dobytown." 

"  Say,  Pendy,"  called  the  Sheriff,  "  if  you 
go  pervadin'  and  pesterin'  around  among 
Curt's  steers  in  those  duds  I  '11  have  to  send 
Jack  down  there  to  arrest  you  for  breach 
of  the  peace." 

"  All  right,  Tilly !  I  'm  here  for  my  health, 
but  I  'm  takin'  in  on  the  side  everything  that 
comes  my  way !  " 

Conrad  found  a  letter  at  the  ranch  ad- 
dressed to  Jose  Gonzalez,  in  his  care,  and 
grinned  with  satisfaction  .as  he  recognized 
Baxter's  handwriting.  "  He  's  buffaloed  all 
right  and  is  calling  off  his  man,"  he  thought 
as  he  opened  with  eager  curiosity  a  missive 
from  Baxter  for  himself: 

"  MY  DEAR  YOUNG  FRIEND  i  —  I  assure  you  that 
you  are  barking  up  the  wrong  tree  when  you 
try  to  connect  me  with  any  attack  the  Mexican, 
Jose  Gonzalez,  may  have  made  upon  you.  In 
fact,  it  is  so  much  up  the  wrong  tree  that  I 
feel  pretty  sure  there  isn't  any  tree  there  at  all! 
His  assault  was  probably  the  result  of  sudden 
anger.  The  man  has  worked  for  me  a  good  deal, 


2i8        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

and  I  know  that  such  is  his  character.  I  have  some 
influence  with  him,  and  I  shall  write  him  at  once 
and  give  him  a  lecture  on  the  necessity  of  control- 
ling his  temper.  I  have  had  occasion  to  do  this 
several  times  in  the  past,  not  without  effect.  I 
shall  tell  him  that  you  are  a  man  of  your  word, 
and  a  crack  shot,  and  that  if  he  does  n't  keep  cool 
he  's  likely  to  die  with  his  boots  on.  Nobody  could 
blame  you,  my  dear  Mr.  Conrad,  if  you  should 
shoot  him  under  such  a  necessity  of  self-defence. 
I  take  it  ill,  however,  that  you  should  connect  me 
with  this  greaser's  outrageous  temper  and  crazy 
actions.  I  assure  you  again  that  you  are  entirely 
mistaken  in  your  assumption,  which,  permit  me  to 
say,  is  what  might  very  well  be  called  gratuitous. 

"  I  congratulate  Johnny  Martinez  upon  having 
the  support  of  a  gentleman  so  energetic,  influential, 
and  enthusiastic  as  yourself,  and  I  remain, 
"  Yours  very  cordially, 

"  DELLMEY  BAXTER." 

Conrad  laughed  aloud  over  the  letter,  ex- 
claiming as  he  finished  it,  "  He  's  a  slick  one, 
he  is!" 

Another  letter  bore  the  imprint  of  Tremper 
&  Townsend,  and  contained  a  check  for  five 
hundred  dollars  and  a  brief  note  saying  that 
their  client,  Sumner  L.  Delafield,  wished  them 
to  send  him  this  money  as  a  second  instal- 
ment of  the  amount  due  his  father's  estate, 


THREE  LETTERS  219 

and  to  add  that  like  sums  would  follow  in 
rapid  succession.  Conrad  scowled  and  gnawed 
his  moustache  as  he  read  the  letter  the  second 
time.  He  was  considering  whether  he  had 
any  right  to  accept  the  money  and  continue 
his  quest  of  vengeance.  Delafield  evidently 
meant  to  buy  him  off  with  it  and,  if  he  ac- 
cepted, did  he  not  tacitly  accept  that  condition  ? 
"  I  '11  send  it  back  to  him,"  was  his  first 
thought,  as  he  reached  for  a  pen.  But  an- 
other idea  stayed  his  hand.  The  former  check 
he  had  divided  between  his  brother  and  sis- 
ters, and,  as  they  knew  nothing  of  his  scheme 
of  revenge,  this  also  ought  to  go  to  them. 
But  Delafield  must  know  upon  what  terms  he 
accepted  the  money.  With  a  grim  look  on 
his  face  he  wrote  to  the  Boston  attorneys: 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of 
a  second  check  for  five  hundred  dollars  from  your 
client,  Sumner  L.  Delafield.  I  am  reasonably  grate- 
ful that  an  unexpected  sense  of  remorse  has  led 
him  to  loose  his  purse-strings,  even  at  this  late  day, 
and  on  behalf  of  my  brother  and  sisters  will  ask 
you  to  send  him  their  thanks.  As  for  myself,  you 
may  tell  him  that  I  hope  the  sending  of  the  money 
has  eased  his  conscience,  for  it  will  procure  him  no 
other  benefit.  Every  cent  of  money  he  sees  fit  to 
send  me  I  shall  turn  over  to  my  father's  other 


220        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

children,  while  I  shall  find  entire  satisfaction  in 
following  out  my  revenge.  What  that  is  he  doubt- 
less knows,  for  the  sending  of  these  checks  con- 
vinces me  that  he  is  moved,  not  by  the  honest  wish 
to  do  what  he  can  toward  righting  a  dastardly 
wrong,  but  by  the  desire  to  save  his  own  skin. 
Please  tell  him,  from  me,  that  he  cannot  buy  im- 
munity from  my  purpose,  even  though  he  should 
send  me  the  whole  of  the  debt  three  times  over." 


CHAPTER   XV 

VILLAINY   UNMASKED 

PENDLETON,  bouncing  in  his  saddle  as 
they  galloped  southward,  bent  admir- 
ing glances  upon  the  erect  figure  of 
his  companion,  whose  seat  was  as  steady  as 
if  horse  and  rider  had  been  welded  together. 
"  Say,  Curt,"  he  finally  called  out,  "  how  do 
you  do  it?    I  'd  give  my  bad  lung  if  I  could 
ride  like  you." 

Conrad  gave  him  some  instruction,  and 
Pendleton  turned  all  his  attention  toward 
learning  how  to  bring  his  body  into  rhythmic 
accord  with  the  movements  of  his  horse.  The 
cattleman,  pounding  along  in  silence,  thought 
with  satisfaction  of  the  progress  his  search 
for  Delafield  was  making  and  planned  how 
he  should  carry  it  on  after  the  round-up,  when 
he  would  have  more  leisure.  He  would  make 
a  list  of  the  men  in  New  Mexico  rich  and 
prominent  enough  to  come  under  suspicion, 
investigate  their  records,  one  by  one,  and  so 
by  elimination  discover  the  person  he  wanted. 
Then  would  come  the  meeting! 


222        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

His  thoughts  full  of  the  climax  of  his 
search,  he  rode  on  in  a  sort  of  exaltation, 
unconsciously  humming  a  song  he  and  Lucy 
Bancroft  had  been  practising.  Presently, 
through  the  silence,  the  sound  entered  his 
conscious  hearing,  and  took  his  thoughts  back 
to  the  pleasant  hour  he  and  she  had  spent 
over  it.  But  a  vague  uneasiness  stirred  his 
feelings  as  the  image  of  Lucy  floated  past  the 
background  of  that  grisly,  dominating  pur- 
pose. The  thought  of  her  persisted;  as  it 
clung  there,  along  the  edge  of  his  absorption, 
it  brought  a  sharp  and  curious  suggestion 
of  the  maimed  bird  he  had  carried  in  his 
bosom.  He  was  suddenly  conscious  of  dis- 
comfort, as  if  he  had  hurt  some  helpless 
thing,  when  his  reverie  was  broken  by  a  series 
of  wild  yells  from  his  companion.  Pendleton 
had  been  lagging  behind,  but  he  now  came 
dashing  forward,  giving  vent  to  his  delight 
because  he  had  so  far  mastered  the  art  of 
riding  that  he  no  longer  bounced  all  over  the 
horse's  back  nor  fell  forward  and  seized  its 
mane  at  each  change  of  gait. 

A  spring  welled  alluringly  from  a  dim- 
ple in  the  hillside.  Pendleton  dismounted, 
saying  he  was  thirsty.  "  Don't  drink  from 
that  spring,  Pendy,"  Conrad  admonished 


VILLAINY  UNMASKED  223 

him.  It 's  alkali,  and  you  '11  wish  you 
had  n't" 

"  It  looks  all  right,  and  it 's  cool,"  said  the 
tenderfoot,  dipping  his  hand  in  the  water. 
"  My  throat 's  as  hot  and  dry  as  that  road. 
What  harm  will  it  do?" 

"  Well,  pretty  soon  you  '11  think  you  're 
chewing  cotton;  and  it  may  make  you  sick, 
though  this  spring  is  n't  strong  enough  of 
alkali  to  do  you  much  harm." 

"  I  '11  risk  it,"  Pendleton  declared,  scooping 
up  some  water  in  his  hat-brim.  "  It 's  wet 
when  it  goes  down,  anyway.  And  I  reckon 
I  might  as  well  take  in  an  alkali  spring,  too, 
while  I  've  got  the  chance.  Everything  goes !" 
An  hour  later  he  galloped  alongside  of  Con- 
rad, working  his  jaws  and  licking  his  lips. 
"  Say,  Curt,"  he  mumbled,  "  I  know  a  fellow 
back  home  who  'd  give  a  thousand  dollars  for 
such  a  thirst  as  I  've  got !  " 

It  was  midnight  when  they  passed  Rock 
Springs,  where  the  superintendent  had  left 
his  outfit.  Two  hours  later,  when  Brown 
Betty  put  out  her  nose  and  neighed,  an  an- 
swering whinny  came  back  from  beyond  the 
next  hill.  '  That 's  only  Five  Cottonwoods," 
thought  Curtis.  "  It  can't  be  they  've  got  no 
farther  than  that !  "  They  gained  the  top  of 


224        THE  DELAFIELD   AFFAIR 

the  hill  and  below  them,  in  the  light  of  the 
waning  moon,  they  saw  the  white  top  of  the 
chuck- wagon,  the  dark  patch  of  sleeping  cattle 
patrolled  by  a  single  horseman,  and  the  fig- 
ures of  the  men  sprawled  on  the  ground 
around  the  dying  coals  of  their  evening  fire. 

"Here  we  are,  Pendy!"  said  Curtis.  "I 
thought  they  would  have  got  farther  than  this, 
and  that  we  Jd  have  at  least  two  hours  more 
of  travel.  Now  we  '11  have  time  for  a  little 
sleep  before  you  begin  busting  those  broncs." 

They  stretched  themselves  on  the  ground 
and  almost  instantly  fell  asleep.  But  it  was 
not  long  before  Conrad,  rousing  suddenly, 
sprang  to  his  feet,  realizing  even  before  he 
was  fairly  awake  that  the  cattle  were  stam- 
peding. From  down  the  hill  came  a  thunder- 
ing, rushing  sound,  the  noise  of  hundreds  of 
hoofs  pounding  the  ground.  He  called  his 
foreman,  seized  his  saddle,  and  rushed  to  the 
bunch  of  tethered  cow-ponies,  Peters,  Texas 
Bill,  Red  Jack,  and  Jose  Gonzalez  close  be- 
hind. As  they  dashed  after  the  flying  herd 
Curtis  could  see  in  the  dim  light  the  figure 
of  the  cowboy  who  had  been  patrolling  the 
sleeping  cattle.  He  was  following  the  stam- 
pede at  what  his  employer  thought  a  leisurely 
pace. 


VILLAINY  UNMASKED  225 

"Who  was  riding  herd?"  he  yelled  to 
Peters,  who  replied,  "  Andy  Miller." 

"  Is  he  trying  to  drive  them  farther  away?  " 
Conrad  muttered  angrily,  pressing  home  his 
spur. 

The  cattle  tore  wildly  down  the  hill,  but  at 
its  foot  their  leaders  turned  up  the  course 
of  the  dry  shallow  valley  instead  of  pressing 
up  the  other  side.  The  men  saw  the  move- 
ment, and  by  cutting  across  the  hillside  gained 
rapidly  upon  the  fleeing  animals.  As  they 
passed  Andy  Miller,  Curtis  shouted  to  him 
that  he  might  return  to  the  camp,  as  they 
should  not  need  him.  The  draw  soon  began 
to  grow  deeper  and  narrower,  and  the  dense 
mass  of  cattle  was  forced  to  lessen  its  pace. 
Conrad  remembered  that  farther  on  the  valley 
came  to  an  abrupt  end  against  a  steep  rise. 
If  the  brutes  stayed  in  it  a  little  longer  they 
would  not  be  able  to  get  out,  and  when  they 
came  to  the  end  of  this  blind  alley  of  the  hills 
they  would  have  to  stop.  So  he  and  his 
companions  galloped  easily  along  beside  the 
shadowy  stream  of  moving  backs  with  its 
spray  of  tossing  horns  that  filled  the  draw,  and 
presently  found  the  leaders,  their  heads  to  the 
bluff,  chewing  their  cuds  as  quietly  as  if  they 
had  never  been  frightened  in  all  their  lives. 

15 


226        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

As  they  rode  back  to  camp  behind  the 
staidly  moving  herd,  Conrad  asked  Peters  if 
he  knew  what  caused  the  stampede.  The 
foreman  did  not  know,  he  had  been  sound 
asleep  when  it  began.  But  he  went  on  to 
tell  an  excited  tale  of  mysterious  accidents 
that  had  followed  close  upon  one  another 
ever  since  the  morning  of  the  superintendent's 
departure.  Only  the  edge  of  the  sand  storm 
through  which  he  had  ridden  touched  them, 
though  it  had  kept  them  in  camp  all  day. 
Nevertheless,  there  had  been  two  stampedes, 
and  they  had  had  much  trouble  getting  the 
brutes  together  again.  Every  day  since  there 
had  been  at  least  one  stampede  of  the  herd. 
He  and  the  others  had  been  kept  busy  gather- 
ing in  the  flying  cattle.  This  was  why  they 
had  got  no  farther  than  Five  Cottonwoods. 
It  seemed  as  if  the  devil  himself  had  taken 
possession  of  every  cow-brute  on  the  range; 
never  in  all  his  years  as  a  cow-puncher  had 
he  had  such  a  time. 

"Don't  you  know  what  starts  them?" 
'  That 's  the  mischief  of  it.  Nobody  ever 
knows.  The  darned  critters  just  get  up  and 
hike.  Some  of  the  boys  are  gettin'  skeery 
about  it,  and  they  're  likely  to  pull  their  freight 
if  it  keeps  up.  They  're  tellin'  ghost  stories 


VILLAINY  UNMASKED  227 

now  after  supper,  and  Andy  Miller  has  been 
reelin'  off  the  whoppin'est  yarns  ever  you 
heard.  Between  the  ghost  stories  and  the 
way  the  cow-brutes  act  the  boys  are  gettin' 
plumb  fidgety,  and  I  'm  mighty  glad  you  Ve 
got  back." 

"How  does  Andy  get  on  with  the  work? 
Does  he  sabef  " 

(  Yes ;  he  's  first  rate ;  the  best  we  Ve  got, 
except  Jose.  But  Andy  does  have  main  bad 
luck  with  the  cow-brutes.  This  makes  four 
times  they  Ve  stampeded  under  him." 

Promise  of  day  was  flushing  the  eastern 
sky  and  faintly  warming  the  gray  semi- 
darkness  when  Pendleton's  eyes  flew  open, 
to  instant  conviction  of  illness.  From  head 
to  foot  he  ached  with  weariness,  and  he  felt 
wretchedly  sick.  For  a  moment  he  kept  quiet, 
feeling  that  it  would  be  more  comfortable 
to  lie  still  and  die  than  to  try  to  move.  But 
presently  he  thought,  "  I  '11  never  live  to  die 
of  consumption  if  I  don't  get  up  quick  and 
find  my  whiskey !  " 

He  scrambled  to  his  feet  and  looked  around. 
Not  nearly  so  many  men  were  stretched  on 
the  ground  as  he  had  expected  to  see,  and 
his  friend  was  not  in  sight.  He  looked  for 
his  saddle-bags,  where  he  kept  his  flask. 


228        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

Conrad  had  taken  them  from  the  horse  when 
they  unsaddled,  and  Pendleton  had  not  no- 
ticed what  he  did  with  them.  He  could  not 
find  the  bags,  everybody  left  in  camp  was 
sound  asleep,  and  Curtis  had  disappeared. 
Wrapped  in  his  blanket  he  was  wandering 
around  forlornly,  squirming  with  pain,  when 
he  saw  some  one  moving  in  the  group  of 
horses  farther  down  the  hill.  He  started  in 
that  direction  and  saw  the  man  stoop  beside 
Conrad's  mare,  Brown  Betty. 

"Hello,  pard!  Where's  Curt?"  Pendle- 
ton called  loudly.  The  man  straightened  up 
quickly,  and  put  away  a  knife.  He  looked 
at  the  curious  figure  coming  toward  him,  and 
burst  into  a  loud  guffaw.  "  Gee  whillikens, 
stranger !  where  'd  you  drop  from  ? "  he 
shouted  back. 

Pendleton  explained,  and  asked  the  other 
to  help  him  find  his  saddle-bags.  They  were 
discovered  in  the  chuck-wagon,  and  the  in- 
valid offered  his  flask,  with  a  cordial  admoni- 
tion to  "  drink  hearty,  pard."  The  cowboy 
responded  literally,  and  made  several  other 
visits  to  the  saddle-bags  before  breakfast.  By 
that  time  he  was  good-naturedly  obstreper- 
ous, and  had  the  camp  in  an  uproar  with  his 
horse-play  and  noisy  pranks.  Conrad  asked 


VILLAINY  UNMASKED  229 

Peters  where  Andy  got  his  whiskey.  The 
foreman  did  not  know,  and  said  that  this  was 
the  first  time  he  had  shown  any  signs  of  drink. 
The  superintendent  went  to  Pendleton. 

"  Has  Andy  Miller  been  taking  a  pull  at 
your  flask  ?  " 

"The  cow-punch  that's  feeling  so  happy? 
Sure,  Curt.  He  helped  me  find  my  saddle- 
bags, and  I  thought  I  'd  be  sociable  with  him. 
I  told  him  to  drink  hearty;  and  by  thunder, 
Curt!  you  ought  to  have  seen  him.  He 
sure  had  a  worse  thirst  on  him  than  I  had 
yesterday/' 

"  I  '11  have  to  ask  you  not  to  do  it  again 
with  any  of  them.  And  you  'd  better  let  me 
put  your  flask  in  a  locked  box  I  have  in  the 
chuck-wagon,  if  you  don't  carry  it  in  your 
pocket,  or  you  may  not  have  any  left  by 
night." 

Gonzalez  came  up  with  a  question,  and 
Conrad  remembered  the  letter  he  had  for 
him.  The  Mexican  took  it  with  an  uncon- 
cerned face,  and  went  ofif  behind  the  chuck- 
wagon.  "  I  don't  need  to  see  the  inside  of 
it,"  thought  Curtis;  "but  I'd  like  to  all  the 
same.  Well,  he  '11  be  all  right  now,  and  I  'm 
glad  of  it,  for  I  'd  hate  to  have  to  kill  as 
good  a  roper  as  he  is." 


230        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

A  few  minutes  later  Jose  strolled  toward 
the  cook's  fire,  twisting  the  letter  in  his  fingers. 
He  was  about  to  thrust  it  into  the  coals  when 
Andy  Miller  jumped  at  him  with  a  yell,  and 
caught  his  hand.  "Here,  boys;  Jose's  got 
a  love  letter !  Let 's  read  it ! "  he  shouted. 
Gonzalez  resisted;  Miller  bore  him  down; 
and  they  rolled,  struggling,  over  the  ground. 
Jose's  dark  face  was  pale  with  anger  and  his 
teeth  were  set  as  he  gripped  the  bit  of  paper 
in  one  fist  and  pummelled  Andy's  face  with 
the  other.  Miller  tried  to  shield  himself  from 
the  blows  with  his  arms,  while  he  bent  his 
energies  to  getting  possession  of  the  letter. 

"You're  fightin',  Andy;  don't  fergit  to 
punch ! "  yelled  Nosey  Ike  from  the  group  of 
cowboys  looking  on.  Miller  was  the  stronger 
of  the  two,  and  almost  had  the  Mexican  in 
his  power  when  Conrad  came  beside  them, 
saying,  "  If  you  want  the  letter  burned,  Jose, 
give  it  to  me." 

Gonzalez  cast  at  him  one  doubtful,  desper- 
ate look,  and  threw  the  twisted  paper  toward 
him.  The  superintendent  thrust  it  in  the  fire, 
and  he  and  Peters  separated  the  two  men. 
Gonzalez  flashed  at  him  a  look  of  gratitude 
and  walked  away  without  a  word. 

"  Andy,"  said  Conrad,  "  you  're  making  too 


VILLAINY  UNMASKED  231 

much  trouble  this  morning.  If  you  want  to 
work  with  this  outfit  you  've  got  to  keep 
straight.  If  you  don't  want  to  do  that  vou 
can  pull  your  freight  right  now." 

The  man  turned  away  sullenly.  "  I  'm  not 
ready  to  pull  my  freight  yet,"  he  muttered. 
The  other  cowboys  were  saddling  their  ponies 
and  making  ready  to  begin  the  day's  work. 
The  bunched  cattle,  with  the  red  rays  of  the 
morning  sun  warm  upon  their  backs,  were 
quietly  grazing  a  little  way  down  the  hillside. 
Andy  Miller  started  toward  his  horse,  but 
turned  and  ran  rapidly  at  the  cattle.  No  one 
noticed  what  he  was  doing  until,  in  a  moment 
more,  he  was  jumping,  yelling,  and  swinging 
his  hat  at  the  edge  of  the  herd.  Snorting 
with  sudden  surprise  and  fright,  the  beasts 
were  away  again  as  though  fiends  were  at 
their  tails.  Conrad  rushed  for  his  horse,  but 
Peters,  already  mounted,  yelled  that  they 
would  not  need  him;  and  the  foreman,  with 
half  a  dozen  others,  dashed  after  the  stampede. 

Andy  Miller  was  coming  slowly  back,  now 
and  then  stopping  to  smite  his  thigh  and 
laugh.  Curtis  walked  out  to  meet  him. 
"  Andy,"  he  said,  "  I  reckon  I  don't  need  you 
any  longer.  You  can  take  your  time  this 
morning.  Here  's  your  money." 


232        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

The  cowboy  looked  up,  grinning,  and  thrust 
the  bills  in  his  pocket.  Then,  as  quickly  and 
lightly  as  a  cat,  he  sprang  upon  the  super- 
intendent and  pulled  him  down.  Conrad, 
taken  completely  by  surprise,  with  his  left 
arm  in  a  sling  and  at  something  less  than 
his  best  of  strength,  for  a  moment  could  do 
nothing  but  struggle  in  the  other's  grasp. 
Miller  was  holding  him,  face  downward, 
across  one  advanced  leg,  when  Pendleton,  still 
wrapped  in  his  blanket,  bustled  up  to  see 
what  was  happening.  With  upraised  hand, 
Miller  yelled: 

"  Now,  then,  you  '11  get  it  back,  every 
dam'  spank,  an'  more  too!  Jenkins  ain't  big 
enough  to  spank  you  himself,  but  I  can  do 
it  for  him ! "  His  hand  descended,  but  into 
an  enveloping  blanket  suddenly  thrown  over 
him  from  behind,  muffling  head,  body,  and 
arms. 

"  I  Ve  got  him,  Curt !  Get  up,  quick,  and 
we  '11  do  him  up !  "  shouted  the  tenderfoot  as 
he  twisted  the  blanket  around  Andy's  strug- 
gling figure. 

Conrad  wrenched  himself  free  and  sprang 
up,  his  face  white.  "  Let  him  up,  Pendy," 
he  said,  drawing  his  revolver.  The  other 
unwound  the  blanket,  and  Miller  scrambled 


VILLAINY  UNMASKED  233 

out,  blinking  and  cursing.  "  You  make  tracks 
out  of  this  camp  as  fast  as  you  can  go,"  said 
Curtis,  "  and  don't  let  me  catch  you  within 
gunshot  of  this  outfit  again!  Clear  out,  this 
minute,  damn  you !  " 

Miller  walked  away  in  silence  toward  his 
staked  horse,  the  two  men  following  him  part 
way  down  the  hill. 

"  He'  d  better  clear  out  before  the  boys  get 
back,  if  he  wants  to  keep  a  sound  neck,"  said 
Conrad,  his  revolver  in  hand  and  his  eyes 
on  the  retreating  cowboy.  "  I  understand  it 
all  now.  And  it  was  a  lucky  thing,  Pendy, 
that  you  gave  him  that  whiskey  this  morn- 
ing; it  got  him  just  drunk  enough  to  show 
his  hand.  If  it  had  n't  been  for  that  I  might 
not  have  caught  on  till  he  'd  done  the  Lord 
knows  how  much  mischief.  It 's  just  like  that 
damned  skunk,  Jenkins,  to  go  at  it  in  this 
sneaking,  underhand  way.  He  's  not  through 
with  me  yet !  " 

They  watched  while  Miller  saddled  his 
horse,  hung  his  rope  at  the  saddle-horn,  and 
mounted.  Then  they  turned  back  toward  the 
camp,  but  presently,  at  a  whinny  from  Brown 
Betty,  Curtis  faced  about.  Miller  had  ridden 
to  where  she  was  standing,  a  little  apart  from 
the  other  horses,  had  leaped  to  the  ground, 


234        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

and  was  making  toward  her  hind-quarters. 
His  body  was  in  profile,  and  as  he  stretched 
out  his  arm  Conrad  saw  the  flash  of  sunlight 
upon  a  knife  blade.  Instantly  his  arm  swung 
upward,  and  there  was  an  answering  flash 
from  the  muzzle  of  his  revolver.  The  report 
boomed  across  the  valley,  and  Andy's  right 
arm  dropped.  He  rushed  toward  them,  yell- 
ing foul  names,  but  halted  when  he  saw  the 
pistol  levelled  at  his  breast. 

"  No  more  tricks,  Andy,"  called  the  super- 
intendent, "  or  it  '11  be  through  your  heart 
next  time.  Git,  right  now !  " 

From  up  the  valley  came  the  shouts  of  the 
men.  They  had  turned  the  cattle  and  were 
hurrying  them  back  to  camp.  Miller  cast  one 
quick  glance  in  their  direction,  and  leaped 
to  his  saddle.  He  made  a  wide  detour,  the 
tail  of  his  eye  on  Conrad's  gun,  and  galloped 
away  on  the  road  over  which  the  outfit  had 
come.  The  others  trooped  up  where  Curtis 
and  Pendleton,  at  the  top  of  the  hill,  were 
watching  his  lessening  figure. 

"  Boys,"  said  the  ranchman,  "  that 's  the 
chap  that 's  been  stampeding  the  cattle ! " 
Peters  swore  a  mouth-filling  oath  and  smote 
his  thigh.  "  He  was  just  on  the  point  of 
ham-stringing  Brown  Betty,"  Curtis  went  on, 


VILLAINY  UNMASKED  235 

his  eyes  blazing,  "  and  I  put  a  bullet  through 
his  arm  barely  in  time  to  prevent  it." 

A  light  broke  upon  Pendleton.  "  Darn  my 
skin,  if  that  was  n't  the  trick  the  critter  was 
up  to  this  morning,  when  he  saw  me  and 
stopped !  " 

"  Let 's  go  after  him,  boys !"  shouted  Peters. 
The  group  of  riders  shot  forward,  like  racers 
starting  at  the  word,  and  thundered  down  the 
road  after  the  culprit.  Conrad  looked  after 
them  grimly,  his  eyes  flashing  blue  fire,  and 
Pendleton,  wrapped  in  his  blanket  again, 
danced  about  and  yelled,  "  Go  it,  boys,  go  it ! 
I  wish  I  was  with  you ! " 

For  an  hour  they  chased  him.  He,  know- 
ing what  his  fate  would  be  if  he  fell  into 
their  hands,  put  spurs  to  his  horse  until  he 
brought  out  its  utmost  speed.  Having  so 
much  the  start  he  kept  well  in  the  lead,  and 
finally  they  gave  it  up  and  returned  to  camp. 

With  his  left  arm  still  in  a  sling  and  his 
shoulder  bandaged,  Conrad  kept  at  the  head 
of  the  round-up,  which  went  on  without  fur- 
ther accident.  He  was  too  busy  to  think  of 
the  pain,  except  at  night,  when  it  often  kept 
him  awake.  At  such  times  his  mind  was 
sure  to  busy  itself,  sooner  or  later,  with  the 
trailing  of  Delafield,  reaching  out  in  every 


236        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

direction  for  some  clew  to  guide  his  next  step. 
By  some  trick  of  subconscious  mental  action, 
thoughts  of  Lucy  Bancroft  began  to  intrude 
upon  his  mind  when  it  was  thus  engaged. 
It  pleased  him  well  enough  to  think  of  Lucy 
at  other  times,  of  her  bright,  piquant  face, 
of  the  positive  opinions  she  was  in  the  habit 
of  pronouncing  with  that  independent  little 
toss  of  her  curly  head,  and  of  her  dimpling 
smiles.  But  it  annoyed  him  that  the  thought 
of  her  should  come  into  conflict  with  his  one 
absorbing  idea.  And,  just  because  he  had 
been  consciously  disturbed  by  it  twice  or 
thrice,  association  of  ideas  brought  back  the 
image  more  and  more  frequently.  Once, 
when  he  had  been  vainly  wooing  sleep  for 
an  hour,  he  caught  himself  wondering  what 
Lucy  would  say  about  the  Delafield  affair. 
He  muttered  an  angry  oath  at  himself,  and 
with  a  mighty  effort  put  both  subjects  out  of 
his  mind.  It  was  not  until  they  reached 
Pelham,  the  railway  station  whence  the  cattle 
were  to  be  shipped,  that  his  shoulder  became 
free  enough  from  pain  for  him  to  sink  into 
sleep  as  soon  as  he  lay  down;  and  thereafter 
his  mind  forbore  its  irritating  trick. 

During  all  that  time,  although  Conrad  did 
not  believe  he  had  anything  to  fear   from 


VILLAINY  UNMASKED  237 

Jose  Gonzalez,  he  never  left  his  revolver  out 
of  easy  reach,  and  never  turned  his  back  upon 
the  Mexican.  But  Gonzalez  kept  on  his  way 
as  calmly  and  apparently  as  unconsciously  as 
if  he  had  had  no  part  in  that  episode  beside 
the  pool  at  Rock  Springs.  Near  the  end  of 
the  shipping  Curtis  asked  him  if  he  would  like 
steady  work  at  the  ranch. 

The  Mexican  gave  a  little  astonished  start 
and  cast  at  the  superintendent  a  glance  of 
suspicion.  Conrad  frowned  and  his  eyes 
flashed.  Then  he  grinned  good-naturedly, 
showing  his  strong  white  teeth  under  his  sun- 
burned moustache.  "  That 's  all  right,  Jose. 
I  'm  not  that  sort.  As  long  as  you  behave 
yourself  I  'm  your  friend.  If  you  don't,  I  've 
told  you  what  will  happen.  You  Ve  struck 
my  gait  in  the  cow  business,  and  I  want  to 
keep  you.  If  you  want  to  stay  you  can  under- 
stand right  now  that  you  run  no  risks,  unless 
you  make  'em  yourself." 

Gonzalez  threw  at  him  a  keen  glance. 
'  You  know  I  have  nothing  against  you,  Don 
Curtis,"  he  began,  hesitating  a  moment  be- 
fore he  went  on ;  "I  like  to  work  for  you 
very  well,  senor,  and  I  will  stay." 


CHAPTER   XVI 

A   DOUBLE   BLUFF 

AEXANDER  BANCROFT  read  Con- 
rad's defiant  letter,  duly  forwarded  by 
his  Boston  attorneys,  with  a  nearer 
approach  to  desperation  than  he  had  known 
in  years.  He  had  hoped  so  much  from  that 
money;  and  it  had  been  thrown  away!  The 
man  was  inflexible,  and  to  attempt  to  turn 
him  from  his  deadly  purpose  by  peaceful 
means  would  be  a  waste  of  time.  And  time 
was  precious,  for,  now  that  he  and  his  de- 
tective knew  so  much,  one  clew  that  they 
might  discover  any  day  would  throw  the  door 
wide  open.  He  must  be  foiled  before  he  had 
time  to  make  another  move.  Bancroft  laid 
on  his  desk  the  letter  he  had  been  reading, 
feeling  to  the  bottom  of  his  heart  that  he 
would  be  justified  in  taking  any  course  that 
would  halt  the  feet  of  his  pursuer. 

A  clerk  came  to  ask  his  presence  in  the 
outer  room,  and  he  went  out  hastily,  intend- 
ing to  return  at  once.  But  a  man  with  busi- 


A  DOUBLE   BLUFF  239 

ness  in  which  both  were  interested  awaited 
him,  and  after  a  moment's  conversation  they 
went  to  find  a  third  who  was  concerned  in 
the  same  matter. 

They  had  only  just  gone  when  Lucy  came 
in  and  asked  for  her  father.  She  looked 
sweet  and  dainty  in  a  white  gown  with  a 
wide  white  hat  tied  under  her  chin,  her  curls 
clustering  around  a  face  all  aglow  with  warm 
browns  and  rich  reds.  The  clerk  who  pressed 
forward  with  pleased  alacrity  to  answer  her 
question  was  one  of  her  ardent  admirers.  Mr. 
Bancroft  had  just  gone  out,  probably  for  only 
a  few  minutes ;  would  n't  she  wait  ?  It  was 
of  no  consequence,  she  said;  she  only  wished 
to  see  if  he  had  any  mail  for  her.  But  she 
looked  disappointed,  and  the  clerk  suggested 
that  as  he  had  left  his  office  door  unlocked 
she  might  go  in  and  wait.  She  saw  a  pile 
of  unopened  letters  on  her  father's  desk  and 
glanced  through  it,  finding  two  for  Miss 
Dent  and  one  for  herself.  ".I  '11  just  sit  here 
and  read  mine,"  she  thought,  "  and  maybe 
daddy  will  be  back  by  that  time." 

A  little  gust  of  wind  came  through  the  open 
window,  blowing  a  sheet  of  paper  from  the 
desk  to  the  floor.  Her  eye  caught  the  signa- 
ture as  she  picked  it  up.  "  Curtis  Conrad!  " 


24o        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

she  read.  "  Oh,  how  like  him  his  writing 
looks ! "  she  exclaimed,  a  wave  of  color  surg- 
ing into  her  cheeks.  "  Why,  it  seems  as  if 
I  just  knew  it  would  be  like  this !  How  easy 
it  is  to  read !  "  She  was  looking  at  the  letter, 
her  attention  absorbed  in  the  fact  that  it  had 
come  from  Conrad's  own  hand,  when  Dela- 
field's  name  stood  out  from  the  other  words. 
"Delafield!  Sumner  L.  Delafield!  I  re- 
member that  name.  It 's  the  name  of  the 
man  that  ruined  his  father  —  why,  it 's  a  re- 
ceipt for  that  money!  How  does  daddy  hap- 
pen to  have  it  ?  "  Her  eyes  ran  eagerly  along 
the  lines.  "  It 's  just  like  him !  I  'm  glad  he 
would  n't  take  the  money !  What  a  horrid, 
wicked  man  that  Delafield  must  be!  I  won- 
der how  daddy  happens  to  have  this  letter, 
when  it  was  written  to  Tremper  &  Townsend, 
in  Boston ! "  Her  glance  fell  on  the  torn  en- 
velope bearing  the  imprint  of  the  Boston  firm, 
addressed  to  her  father,  and  thence  to  their 
letter  beside  it.  With  mind  intent  upon  the 
bewildering  problem  her  eyes  rushed  over  the 
brief  missive: 

"  As  you  requested,  we  deposited  your  check  for 
five  hundred  dollars  to  our  account,  and  foi  warded 
our  check  for  the  same  amount  to  Mr.  Curtis  Con- 
rad. We  enclose  his  letter  in  receipt,  which  he  evi- 
dently wishes  sent  on  to  you." 


A  DOUBLE   BLUFF  241 

Lucy  dropped  the  sheet  of  paper  and  sprang 
to  her  feet,  her  mind  awhirl  with  protest.  No, 
no!  this  could  not  be  meant  for  her  father 
—  he  was  not  Delafield  —  it  was  impossible ! 
But  —  something  clutched  at  her  throat,  and 
her  head  swam.  She  must  go  home;  she 
must  think  out  the  puzzle.  Sudden  unwill- 
ingness to  meet  her  father  seized  her.  He 
must  not  know  she  had  been  there,  that  she 
had  seen  anything.  She  was  not  yet  think- 
ing coherently,  only  feeling  that  she  had 
thoughtlessly  surprised  some  secret,  which 
had  sprung  out  at  her  like  a  jack-in-the-box, 
and  that  she  must  give  no  sign  of  having 
seen  its  face. 

She  sped  homeward,  her  brain  in  a  turmoil, 
and  it  was  not  until  she  had  shut  herself  in 
her  room  that  she  began  to  think  clearly. 
A  troop  of  recollections,  disjointed,  half- 
forgotten  bits  and  ends  of  things  swarmed 
upon  her.  The  shock  had  roused  her  mind 
to  unusual  activity,  and  little  things  long  past, 
forgotten  for  years,  again  came  vividly  into 
her  memory. 

So  suddenly  that  it  made  her  catch  her  breath 
there  flashed  upon  her  the  recollection  of  how 
once,  when  she  was  a  tiny  child,  some  one  had 
halted  beside  her  mother  and  herself  in  a  city 

16 


242        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

street  and  exclaimed  "  Mrs.  Delafield !  "  Her 
mother  had  hurried  on  without  noticing  the 
salutation,  and  had  satisfied  her  curiosity 
afterward  by  explaining  that  the  person  was 
a  stranger  who  had  mistaken  her  for  some- 
body else.  But  Lucy  had  thought  the  name 
a  pretty  one  and  used  it  in  her  play,  pretend- 
ing that  she  had  a  little  playmate  so  called. 
Their  wanderings  during  her  childhood  came 
back  to  her,  when  they  had  gone  often  from 
one  place  to  another,  at  first  in  Canada, 
afterward  always  in  the  West.  Much  of 
the  time  she  and  her  mother  were  alone,  but 
her  father  came  occasionally  to  spend  with 
them  a  few  days  or  weeks.  Her  devotion 
to  him  dated  from  those  early  years,  when 
she  thought  so  much  about  him  during  his 
long  absences,  wished  so  ardently  for  his 
return,  and  enjoyed  his  visits  with  unalloyed 
delight. 

With  new  significance  came  the  recollec- 
tion of  the  beginning  for  them  of  the  name 
of  Bancroft.  While  she  was  still  a  little  girl 
her  mother  had  told  her  their  name  would 
no  longer  be  Brown,  but  Bancroft,  because 
they  had  been  allowed  to  change  it.  She  had 
liked  the  new  name  much  better,  had  accepted 
it  with  the  unquestioning  acquiescence  of 


A  DOUBLE   BLUFF  243 

childhood,  and  the  old  name  had  soon  become 
but  a  dim  memory. 

Like  a  blow  at  her  heart,  because  of  the 
conviction  it  brought,  the  remembrance  rushed 
upon  her  of  an  occasion  not  long  after  the 
change  of  name.  She  had  wakened  in  the 
night  and,  drowsily  floating  in  and  out  of 
sleep,  had  heard  snatches  of  talk  between  her 
parents.  Something  regarding  danger  to  her 
father  had  won  her  attention.  He  had  re- 
plied that  it  would  be  quite  safe,  because  only 
when  he  visited  them  would  he  be  known  as 
Bancroft,  and  that  henceforth  he  would  prob- 
ably be  able  to  spend  more  time  with  them. 
Her  mother  had  feared  and  questioned,  but 
he  had  reassured  her  and  insisted  that  Lucy 
must  be  kept  more  steadily  in  school  and  that 
both  mother  and  daughter  must  have  a  settled 
home.  She  could  not  remember  all  that  he 
said,  but  meaningful  scraps  came  back  which 
had  impressed  her  because  they  were  con- 
cerned with  that  vague  peril  which  her 
mother  seemed  to  fear.  He  had  said  some- 
thing about  there  being  "  no  danger  now," 
"  nobody  would  recognize  him,"  "  everybody 
had  forgotten  it  by  this  time  " ;  finally,  her 
childish  anxiety  assured  that  he  was  not  really 
in  jeopardy,  she  had  sunk  back  happily  into 


244        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

sleep  and  thought  little  more  about  it.  After 
that  she  and  her  mother  lived  part  of  the 
time  in  Denver  and  part  in  San  Francisco,  and 
her  father  was  with  them  more  than  before. 

Every  recollection  that  emerged  from  that 
dubious  past  strengthened  the  fear  that  had 
gripped  her  heart  with  the  reading  of  the 
letters.  One  by  one  she  was  forced  to  give 
up  the  suppositions  with  which  she  tried  to 
account  for  her  father's  possession  of  those 
letters.  With  all  her  strength  she  fought 
against  the  one  evident  conclusion.  But  at 
last  the  conviction  fell  upon  her  with  chill 
certainty  that  they  were  on  her  father's  desk 
because  they  were  meant  for  him,  and  that 
he  was  the  Sumner  L.  Delaneld  of  that  long 
past,  disgraceful  affair. 

With  hands  clenched  against  her  heart, 
which  was  aching  with  the  soreness  of  bruised 
flesh,  she  whispered,  "  To  take  the  money  of 
all  those  people,  and  ruin  them;  and  it  killed 
some  —  oh,  daddy,  daddy,  it  was  you  who 
did  it !  "  All  the  world  had  suddenly  become 
one  great,  enveloping  pain  that  wrung  her 
heart  anew  with  every  recurring  realization 
that  her  adored  father  had  been  so  wicked  — 
to  her  mind  so  abominably  wicked.  It  was 
significant  of  her  youth  and  inexperience,  and 


A  DOUBLE   BLUFF  245 

also  of  her  moral  quality,  that  she  did  not 
attempt  to  palliate  or  excuse  his  offence.  He 
was  guilty  of  wrongdoing,  as  Dellmey  Baxter 
was  guilty,  but  in  a  far  worse  measure,  and 
the  fact  that  he  was  her  father  would  never 
temper  her  condemnation  of  his  sin.  In  the 
midst  of  her  anguish  she  grew  conscious  that 
her  feeling  toward  him  had  changed,  and 
knew  that  the  life  had  gone  out  of  her  old 
honoring,  adoring  love.  It  was  as  if  half 
her  heart  had  been  violently  torn  away.  For 
the  first  time  sobs  shook  her,  as  she  moaned, 
"  Daddy,  daddy,  I  loved  you  so ! "  Forlorn 
and  anguished,  her  longing  turned  back  to 
the  dead  mother  with  imperious  need  of  sym- 
pathy, understanding,  and  companionship. 

Then  came  the  thought  that  her  mother 
had  known  this  dreadful  truth,  and  yet  had 
stanchly  held  by  him  and  shared  its  con- 
sequences. The  sense  of  duty  arose  within 
her,  trembling,  apprehensive,  but  insistent. 
It  seemed  almost  as  if  her  mother  had  be- 
queathed this  secret  to  her  keeping  that  she 
might  the  better  fill  her  place  beside  him  with 
daughterly  solicitude.  The  idea  crystallized 
into  whispered  words  as  she  tossed  back  her 
head  and  dried  her  eyes,  "  My  mother  stood 
by  him,  and  so  shall  I ! " 


246        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

He  must  never  even  suspect  that  she  knew 
this  horrible  thing;  she  felt  instinctively  that 
it  would  cut  him  to  the  heart  to  learn  that 
she  had  discovered  his  secret.  For  a  moment 
she  broke  down  again  and  moaned,  "  Why 
did  I  go  into  his  office  this  morning!  I  wish 
I  hadn't,  I  wish  I  hadn't!  And  then  I 
would  n't  have  had  to  know !  "  She  quickly 
put  aside  this  useless  repining,  to  face  the 
grim,  painful  fact  once  more.  No;  he  must 
never  guess  that  she  knew  he  was  other  than 
he  seemed,  and  he  must  never  feel  any  change 
in  her  manner  toward  him.  She  must  hide 
the  secret  deep,  deep  down  in  her  heart,  and 
she  must  keep  their  mutual  life  as  it  had 
always  been.  And  there  was  Dearie  —  but 
she  must  know  nothing  of  it;  oh,  no,  never 
in  the  world  must  Dearie  learn  the  least  thing 
about  this  trouble! 

Lucy  felt  very  much  alone,  quite  shut  off, 
in  her  poignant  need,  from  every  one  who 
might  give  her  help,  advice,  or  sympathy.  As 
she  sat  there,  encompassed  by  her  loneliness 
and  pain,  her  thoughts  turned  half  uncon- 
sciously toward  Curtis  Conrad  with  instinc- 
tive longing  for  his  protecting  care  and 
strength.  Then  she  remembered.  With  a 
sharp  flash  that  made  her  wince  it  came  back 


A  DOUBLE   BLUFF  247 

to  her  that  he  meant  to  have  revenge  on 
Delafield ;  that  she  had  heard  him  say  he  was 
on  the  man's  trail,  and  would  track  him  down 
and  kill  him!  For  a  moment  it  staggered 
her,  with  a  fierce  new  pain  that  struck  through 
the  keen  ache  in  her  breast,  making  her  catch 
her  breath  in  a  gasping  sob.  But  all  her 
heart  rose  in  quick  denial.  A  faint  smile 
held  her  trembling  lip  for  an  instant  as  she 
thought : 

"  Oh,  no ;  he  would  n't !  He  would  n't  hurt 
daddy;  and  he  wouldn't  kill  anybody!  I 
know  he  would  n't !  " 

She  almost  feared  to  meet  her  household; 
it  seemed  as  if  this  awful  knowledge  which 
had  come  to  her  must  be  writ  large  upon  her 
countenance.  Would  it  be  possible  to  take 
up  the  daily  life  again  as  if  nothing  had  hap- 
pened? A  chasm  so  horrible  had  riven  it, 
since  the  morning,  that  surely  it  could  never 
be  the  same  again.  But  when  she  finally 
summoned  her  resolution  and  went  down  to 
take  up  her  daily  duties,  she  found  it  not  so 
hard  as  she  had  feared.  That  benign  routine 
of  daily,  commonplace  life,  with  its  hourly 
demands  upon  thought  and  feeling  and  atten- 
tion, which  has  saved  so  many  hearts  from 
breaking,  met  her  at  the  very  door  of  her 


248        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

room.  She  quickly  learned  to  lean  upon  it, 
even  to  multiply  its  demands.  At  the  outset 
it  gave  her  the  strength  and  courage  to  pass 
through  her  ordeal  steadfastly;  and  after  the 
first  day  it  was  not  so  hard.  She  began  to 
feel  pity  for  her  father  and  a  new  tenderness 
as  she  thought  of  the  years  through  which 
he  had  lived,  knowing  who  he  was  and  what 
he  had  done,  and  dreading  always  to  be  found 
out.  But  all  her  pity,  tenderness,  affection, 
and  the  old  habit  of  lovingness  that  she  was 
resolute  to  sustain  were  not  always  sufficient 
to  overcome  the  revulsion  that  sometimes 
seized  her. 

One  of  these  moments  of  revolt  came  to  her 
as  they  lingered  over  the  breakfast  table  a 
few  days  after  her  discovery.  She  made  an 
excuse  to  attend  to  something  in  the  kitchen, 
and  hastily  left  the  room.  Her  father  had 
told  them  at  the  table  that  he  was  going  to 
Las  Vegas  that  morning.  He  waited,  expect- 
ing her  to  return  and  go  with  him  to  the 
gate,  and  wave  a  last  good-bye  as  he  looked 
back  on  his  way  down  the  hill.  She  did  not 
reappear,  and  at  last  he  told  Miss  Dent 
that  he  would  have  to  go  or  lose  his  train. 
Louise  watched  him  from  the  window  with 
yearning  eyes  that  would  not  lift  themselves 


A  DOUBLE   BLUFF  249 

from  his  figure  until  it  disappeared  from  her 
view. 

As  he  waited  at  the  station  Lucy  rushed 
breathlessly  to  his  side.  "  I  was  so  afraid  I 
should  be  too  late !  "  she  panted  as  she  slipped 
her  hand  through  his  arm,  "  I  ran  all  the 
way  down  the  hill." 

She  clung  so  affectionately  to  him  and 
looked  up  into  his  face  with  an  appeal  so 
wistful  that  he  was  touched,  thinking  only 
that  she  was  sorrowing  over  his  going  away. 
It  was  the  first  time  he  had  been  separated 
from  her  since  she  had  come  to  make  her 
home  with  him.  The  conductor  called,  "  All 
aboard!  "  and  he  kissed  her  tenderly,  saying, 
"  I  '11  be  back  day  after  to-morrow,  little 
daughter." 

She  went  home  with  that  "  little  daughter  " 
ringing  in  her  ears  and  her  heart.  It  brought 
back  a  wealth  of  memories  of  those  childish, 
happy,  longed-for  times  when  her  father  came, 
so  glad  to  see  his  "  little  daughter  "  that  the 
days  were  not  long  enough  to  hold  all  the 
pleasures  he  wished  to  give  her.  It  filled  her 
breast  with  tenderness  and  a  sort  of  yearning 
affection,  more  maternal  than  filial  in  quality, 
and  made  more  ardent  her  desire  to  stand 
by  him  with  perfect  loyalty.  But  the  old, 


250        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

joyous  love  that  had  been  rooted  deep  in  ad- 
miration, esteem,  and  honor  no  longer  stirred 
within  her.  She  knew  that  it  would  never 
fill  her  life  again  with  its  warmth  and  glad- 
ness, and  that  now  and  again  she  would  have 
to  struggle  with  that  same  aversion  which 
had  sent  her  that  morning  to  hide  herself  in 
her  room  against  his  accustomed  affectionate 
farewell.  Nevertheless,  she  was  pleased  that 
a  returning  tide  of  tenderness,  which  was 
almost  remorse,  had  swept  over  her  in  time 
for  her  to  join  him  at  the  station. 

Lucy's  breathless  rush  to  overtake  him 
and  the  appealing  tenderness  of  her  manner 
during  their  moment  together  were  sweet 
thoughts  in  Bancroft's  mind  as  the  train  bore 
him  northward.  Dear  little  daughter!  she 
grew  dearer  every  day,  and  so  did  his  pride 
and  happiness  in  her.  He  longed  to  give  her 
all  the  pleasures  that  his  money  could  buy, 
just  as  he  used  to  fill  his  pockets  for  her 
delight  when  she  was  a  little  girl.  Once 
past  these  threatening  dangers,  they  should 
have  good  times  together.  All  his  business 
enterprises  were  promising  well;  it  would 
not  be  long  before  money  would  be  plenty. 
Then,  with  clear  sailing  ahead  and  no  ominous 
clouds,  he  could  ask  Louise  to  marry  him. 


A  DOUBLE  BLUFF  251 

They  would  have  to  give  up  Lucy  some 
time,  but  not  for  many  a  day.  She  was  the 
sort  of  girl  that  is  always  attractive  to  men 
—  why,  half  the  young  fellows  in  Golden 
were  already  dancing  devoted  attendance !  — 
but  she  was  very  young;  he  and  Louise  still 
had  many  years  in  which  to  enjoy  her,  to 
travel  with  her  and  show  her  the  world. 
Once  past  these  threatening  dangers,  how 
fair  was  the  world  beyond!  He  would  van- 
quish them  yet,  by  whatever  means  might 
come  to  his  hand!  Each  day's  anxiety  for 
the  present  and  its  longing  for  the  fair  future 
made  his  heart  more  desperate  and  reckless. 
He  was  hopeful  that  this  coming  interview 
with  Rutherford  Jenkins  would  make  things 
easier  for  him  in  that  quarter.  Money  would 
always  keep  Jenkins  quiet,  but  to  give  up 
money  to  a  blackmailer  was  like  pouring  it 
down  a  rat  hole ;  if  he  kept  it  up  the  process 
was  sure  to  cripple  him  in  time. 

Jenkins  received  him  with  smiling  cordiality. 
"  I  'm  very  glad  to  see  you,  Mr.  Delafield  — 
oh,  I  beg  your  pardon!  —  Mr.  Bancroft.  I 
always  think  of  you  as  —  ah,  by  the  othe,r 
name  —  and  I  sometimes  forget  in  speaking." 

"  You  'd  better  not  forget  again,"  Bancroft 
interposed.  "  And,  speaking  of  forgetting, 


252        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

there  is  a  little  matter  concerning  you  that 
I  'm  willing  to  let  drop  out  of  my  memory. 
You  know,  of  course,  about  the  case  of  Jose 
Maria  Melgares.  Doubtless  you  know,  also, 
how  Melgares  happened  to  steal  Curtis  Con- 
rad's horse;  and  you  could  tell  to  a  cent  — 
to  a  jury,  if  necessary  —  how  much  money 
was  given  to  Melgares  in  the  rear  of  the  Blue 
Front  saloon  to  induce  him  to  undertake  the 
theft.  I  take  it,  however,  that  you  would  not 
care  to  have  it  brought  into  court,  as  a  con- 
viction on  a  charge  of  conspiracy  would  be 
sure  to  follow.  I  have  all  the  evidence  in 
my  possession  —  quite  enough  to  convict.  I 
got  it  from  Melgares'  wife  in  the  first  place, 
and  I  have  since  secured  his  affidavit.  But 
I  have  stopped  her  mouth,  and  his,  and  no- 
body else  knows  anything  about  it.  I  am 
quite  willing  to  forget  it  myself  if  you  will 
show  equal  courtesy  concerning  —  certain 
other  matters." 

Jenkins  grinned  and  licked  his  lips.  "  Really, 
my  dear  Mr.  Delafield  —  excuse  me  —  my 
dear  Mr.  Bancroft  —  I  don't  know  what  you 
are  driving  at!  I  suppose  you  mean  that 
Melgares  has  been  saying  that  I  hired  him 
to  steal  Conrad's  horse.  The  thing  is  as  false 
as  it  is  absurd.  If  it  were  to  come  into  court 


A  DOUBLE   BLUFF  253 

I  should  deny  it  absolutely,  exactly  as  I  do 
now.  And  the  word  of  Rutherford  Jenkins 
would  stand  for  considerably  more  with  a  jury 
than  that  of  a  Mexican  horse-thief." 

'  You  are  probably  the  only  man  in  the 
Territory,  Mr.  Jenkins,  who  holds  that  opin- 
ion. Unless  you  take  a  more  reasonable  view 
of  the  matter  I  shall  feel  it  my  duty  to  see 
the  district  attorney  as  soon  as  I  get  home." 

"  See  him,  and  be  damned !  "  Jenkins  broke 
out.  ;<  If  you  do,  Curtis  Conrad  shall  know 
before  the  week  is  out  that  you  are  Sumner 
L.  Delafield." 

Bancroft's  eyes  fell,  but  his  reply  came 
quickly  enough :  "  Well,  and  what  is  that  to 
me?" 

"  I  guess  you  know  what  it  will  mean  to 
you,"  Jenkins  answered  with  a  sneer.  He 
did  not  know  himself  what  it  would  mean  to 
the  banker,  but  he  felt  sure  that  it  would 
answer  quite  as  well  to  make  pretence  of 
knowledge.  He  watched  his  antagonist  fur- 
tively in  the  momentary  silence  that  followed. 

"  You  don't  seem  to  understand  the  full 
significance  of  the  attitude  you  are  taking," 
Bancroft  presently  went  on.  "  Of  course,  I 
do  not  wish,  just  now,  to  have  Conrad,  or 
any  one  else,  know  all  the  events  of  my  past 


254        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

life.  I  have  been  living  an  honorable  life 
in  this  Territory,  and  you  can  very  well  com- 
prehend that  I  do  not  wish  my  reputation  and 
business  success  smashed  —  by  you  or  any- 
body else.  That  is  the  only  reason  why  I 
was  willing  to  enter  into  an  understanding 
with  you.  But  my  affairs  are  getting  in  such 
shape  that  I  can  soon  snap  my  fingers  at  you 
or  any  one  who  tries  to  disclose  my  identity. 
At  best,  you  '11  be  able  to  get  little  more  out 
of  me,  and  I  am  amazed  that  you  should  be 
willing  to  risk  this  trial,  with  its  certain  dis- 
grace, conviction,  and  sentence  to  the  peni- 
tentiary, for  the  sake  of  the  few  hundred 
dollars  of  —  blackmail  —  let  us  call  it  by  its 
right  name  —  that  you  may  be  able  to  extort 
from  me." 

"  I  am  quite  willing  to  take  whatever  risk 
there  is,"  Jenkins  interposed,  "  especially  as 
my  counsel  could  readily  bring  out  the  fact 
that  you  had  tried  to — 'blackmail  —  let  us 
call  it  by  its  right  name  —  to  blackmail  me 
before  you  gave  the  information.  Do  as  you 
please  about  going  to  the  district  attorney;  I 
don't  care  a  damn  whether  you  do  or  not. 
But,  if  you  do,  you  '11  have  to  settle  with 
Curt  Conrad  before  the  week  is  out ! " 

Bancroft  arose,  perceiving  acutely  that  the 


A  DOUBLE   BLUFF  255 

only  course  left  for  him  was  to  make  a  strong 
bluff  and  retreat.  "  Very  well,"  he  said,  with 
an  indifference  he  was  far  from  feeling,  "  do 
as  you  like  about  that.  Only  don't  delude 
yourself  by  supposing  that  Curt  Conrad's 
knowing  about  that  old  affair  will  mean  any 
more  to  me  than  anybody  else's  knowledge. 
When  you  think  this  proposal  of  mine  over 
carefully  I  'm  sure  you  '11  change  your  mind, 
and  I  shall  expect  to  hear  from  you  to  that 
effect." 


CHAPTER   XVII 

SENTENCE   OF   DEATH 

A  the  Spring  days  passed,  in  unbroken 
procession  of  rosy  dawns,  cloudless 
and  glowing  noons,  and  gorgeous 
sunsets,  Louise  Dent's  resentment  against 
Curtis  Conrad  grew  keen  and  bitter.  She 
saw  the  lines  of  worry  appearing  in  Ban- 
croft's face,  and  surprised  now  and  then  in 
his  eyes  an  anxious  abstraction;  and  in  her 
heart  she  stormed  against  the  man  she  sup- 
posed to  be  the  sole  cause  of  it  all.  Dreading 
his  next  visit  lest  she  might  betray  her  feel- 
ing, she  longed  to  drive  him  from  the  house, 
when  he  should  come,  with  burning,  shaming 
words.  But  Bancroft,  who  knew  as  much  of 
his  intention  as  she  did,  was  on  terms  of 
cordial  friendship  with  him,  and  she  must  take 
her  cue  from  her  friend  and  host. 

Toward  Bancroft  himself  her  heart  grew 
more  tenderly  solicitous  as  her  womanly  in- 
stincts divined  his  feeling  toward  her.  A 
thousand  unconscious  touches  of  tone  and 


SENTENCE  OF  DEATH  257 

manner  had  already  revealed  his  love,  and 
she  surmised  that  he  would  not  speak  because 
of  the  imminence  of  this  sore  danger.  She 
longed  to  give  him  her  open  sympathy,  to 
counsel  with  him,  to  lock  hands  with  him  so 
that  they  might  face  the  trouble  together. 
Yet  she  was  stopped  from  word  or  action  by 
the  necessity  of  seeming  to  know  nothing. 
The  fact  of  Bancroft's  identity  had  been  dis- 
closed to  her  by  his  wife,  her  dear  and  inti- 
mate friend,  who,  at  point  of  death,  had  told 
her,  under  solemn  promise  of  secrecy,  the 
whole  story,  that  she  might  the  better  shield 
Lucy  should  disclosure  ever  threaten.  Now, 
her  heart  melting  with  pity,  love,  and  sym- 
pathy for  her  friend,  and  burning  with  angry 
resentment  against  his  foe,  she  must  perforce 
sit  in  apparent  ignorance  of  it  all,  be  calm 
and  cheerful  toward  Bancroft,  and  smile 
pleased  welcome  upon  Conrad.  That  hidden 
volcano  in  her  breast,  whose  possibility  Lucy 
and  Curtis  had  half  seriously  discussed,  had 
become  a  reality,  and  the  concealment  of  it 
demanded  all  her  self-control. 

The  only  relief  she  dared  give  herself  was 
occasional  disapproval  of  the  young  cattle- 
man in  her  talks  with  Lucy.  Louise  was 
surprised  and  puzzled  by  the  varying  moods 

17 


258        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

in  which  the  girl  received  these  criticisms. 
Sometimes  she  kept  silence  or  quickly  changed 
the  subject.  Rarely  she  tossed  her  head  and 
joined  in  the  condemnation  with  an  angry 
sparkle  of  the  eye.  Or,  again,  with  flushing 
cheek,  she  defended  him  from  Miss  Dent's 
aspersions.  Louise  decided,  with  a  fond  smile, 
that  her  vagaries  of  mood  were  due  to  pique 
at  the  lack  of  more  constant  attentions  from 
Conrad.  For  the  young  woman,  to  her 
father's  and  Miss  Dent's  loving  amusement, 
was  proving  herself  adept  in  the  art  of  queen- 
ing it  over  a  court  of  masculine  admirers. 
What  with  walks  over  the  mesa,  rides  and 
picnics  up  the  canyon,  music  of  evenings, 
and  Sunday  afternoon  calls,  Lucy  was  lead- 
ing a  gay  life,  and  Louise,  as  her  chaperon, 
a  busy  one.  Being  a  normal,  buoyant-hearted 
girl,  Lucy  enjoyed  the  gayety  and  the  at- 
tention and  admiration  showered  upon  her 
in  such  copious  measure  for  their  own  sake, 
and  she  was  glad  of  them  also  because,  to- 
gether with  her  household  cares,  they  kept 
her  too  well  occupied  for  sad  thoughts. 

So  the  days  passed  until  mid- June  was  at 
hand  and  the  time  come  for  the  trial  of  Jose 
Maria  Melgares.  Curtis  Conrad  was  in  Gol- 
den as  one  of  the  principal  witnesses  for  the 


SENTENCE  OF  DEATH  259 

prosecution  —  his  first  visit  to  the  town  since 
the  Spring  round-up.  Lucy,  glancing  fre- 
quently down  the  street,  was  trying  to  inter- 
est herself  in  Miss  Dent's  conversation  as 
they  sat  together  on  the  veranda.  They  spoke 
of  the  trial,  and  Lucy  said  she  had  seen  Mr. 
Conrad  on  his  way  to  the  court-house  when 
she  went  down  town  to  market. 

"  I  Ve  been  disappointed  in  Mr.  Conrad," 
said  Louise ;  "  I  don't  understand  how  he  can 
talk  so  recklessly  about  people  needing  to  be 
killed.  To  me  it  is  very  repellent.  You  know 
how  he  speaks  about  Mr.  Baxter." 

Lucy's  head  went  up.  "  But  Mr.  Baxter  is 
a  very  bad  man !  "  she  exclaimed.  "  He  has 
been  responsible  for  a  great  deal  of  suffering. 
Just  think  of  Melgares  and  his  poor  wife! 
But  for  Mr.  Baxter  they  might  still  be  living 
happily  on  their  little  ranch.  And  he  's  done 
many  other  things  just  as  wicked  and  unjust. 
Oh,  he 's  a  very  bad  man,  and  I  can't  blame 
Mr.  Conrad  for  feeling  that  way  about  him." 
She  broke  off,  flushing  to  her  brows,  then 
went  on  more  quietly :  "  But  I  don't  think, 
Dearie,  that  Mr.  Conrad  means  half  he  says 
when  he  talks  that  way;  it 's  just  his  way  of 
feeling  how  brave  he  is." 

"If  he  does  not  mean  it,  he  should  not 


260        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

speak  so  recklessly  of  serious  matters,"  Louise 
responded  with  decision.  "  He  must  have  a 
cruel  nature,  or  he  would  not  harbor  such 
ideas." 

Lucy  leaned  forward,  her  face  aglow.  "  In- 
deed, no,  Dearie !  Mr.  Conrad  is  n't  cruel ; 
he's  really  very  tender-hearted  —  just  think 
of  the  way  he  carried  that  wounded  bird  all 
the  way  to  Golden  to  have  its  leg  fixed.  And 
one  day  when  we  were  walking  on  the  mesa, 
he  was  so  distressed  because  he  accidentally 
stepped  on  a  little  horned  toad.  It 's  unjust 
to  call  him  cruel,  Dearie !  " 

Her  glance  darted  down  the  street  again, 
and  she  saw  Curtis  nearing  her  gate.  His 
quick,  energetic  stride  and  eager  face  were 
like  a  trumpet  call  to  her  youth  and  her 
womanhood.  Forgetting  all  but  the  fact 
of  his  presence,  she  felt  her  heart  leap  to 
meet  him  with  joyful  welcome.  But  in- 
stantly came  remembrance  and  reaction,  and 
she  greeted  him  with  unusual  gravity  of 
manner. 

Conrad  wanted  them  at  the  ranch  for  the 
Fourth  of  July.  "  We  are  to  have  a  big  bar- 
becue and  baile,"  he  said.  "  Both  the  Castle- 
tons  are  coming  this  year  to  look  things 
over,  and  I  wrote  Ned  that  if  Mrs.  Ned  was 


SENTENCE  OF  DEATH  261 

coming  with  him  perhaps  it  would  amuse  her 
if  we  did  something  of  the  sort.  The  idea 
seemed  to  just  strike  his  gait,  and  he  wrote 
back  at  once  to  go  ahead  and  whoop  it  up 
for  all  I  'm  worth.  Mrs.  Ned  and  Mrs. 
Turner  are  both  coming,  and  I  'm  asking  a 
lot  of  people  from  all  over  the  Territory.  I 
want  you  two  ladies  and  Mr.  Bancroft  to  be 
sure  to  come  out  the  day  before  the  Fourth 
and  stay  at  least  until  the  day  after,  and  as 
much  longer  as  you  find  convenient.  My 
brother  Homer  is  coming  on  next  week  for 
the  rest  of  the  Summer,  and  he  '11  be  there 
too." 

Lucy  was  delighted,  clapped  her  hands, 
and  declared  it  would  be  great  fun  —  of  course 
they  would  go.  Repugnant  to  the  idea  but 
knowing  that  only  one  course  was  seemly, 
Miss  Dent  gave  smiling  acquiescence.  As 
they  talked,  Curtis  telling  them  of  the  great 
wealth  of  the  Castleton  brothers,  the  rivalry 
of  the  two  ladies,  the  dash  and  beauty  and 
vogue  of  Mrs.  Turner,  and  the  Spanish  an- 
cestry of  Mrs.  Ned,  Lucy's  eyes  continually 
sought  his  face.  Her  spirits  began  to  rise, 
and  soon  they  were  gayly  tilting  at  each  other 
after  their  usual  custom,  she  all  smiles  and 
dimples  and  animation,  and  he  beaming  with 


262        THE  DELAF1ELD  AFFAIR 

admiration.  They  went  to  the  conservatory 
to  see  the  tanager  and  presently  brought  it 
back  with  them,  telling  Miss  Dent  that  they 
were  going  to  set  it  free.  Lucy  stood  beside 
him  as  they  watched  it  soar  away  through 
the  sunlight,  a  flash  of  silvery  pink  flame,  and 
it  seemed  to  her  that  their  mutual  interest 
in  the  little  creature  had  made  a  bond  be- 
tween them  and  given  her  an  understanding 
of  his  character  deeper  and  truer  than  any 
one  else  could  have. 

Conrad  went  down  the  hill,  whistling  softly 
a  merry  little  tune,  his  thoughts  dwelling  ten- 
derly upon  Lucy.  He  wished  her  to  enjoy 
the  barbecue  and  baile  even  more  than  she 
expected  —  it  was  to  be  her  first  experience  of 
that  sort  —  and  he  began  to  plan  little  details 
that  might  add  to  her  pleasure.  So  absorbed 
was  he  and  so  pleasant  his  thoughts  that  for 
a  time  he  quite  forgot  the  Delafield  affair. 
But  it  came  to  mind  again  when  Bancroft 
asked  him,  as  they  talked  together  at  the  door 
of  the  bank,  if  he  had  had  any  more  trouble 
with  Jose  Gonzalez. 

"  Oh,  no;  Jose 's  all  right.  He  's  the  best 
cowboy  I  've  got  and  as  docile  as  a  yearling. 
He's  agreed  to  stay  right  on  at  the  ranch 
with  me.  I  'm  glad  to  have  such  a  smart, 


SENTENCE  OF  DEATH          263 

competent  fellow  to  leave  under  Peters,  for 
after  the  Fourth  I  expect  to  be  away  a 
good  deal.  I  '11  have  some  time  for  myself 
then  and  I  'm  going  into  this  hunt  after 
Delafield  for  all  I  'm  worth ;  I  don't  think 
it  will  take  me  long  to  run  him  down 


now." 


Bancroft  hesitated  a  moment,  then,  laying 
his  hand  on  Conrad's  arm  he  spoke  earnestly: 
"  For  God's  sake,  Curt,  give  up  this  fool  no- 
tion of  yours.  If  you  don't,  you  '11  never  get 
through  alive.  No  sane  man  is  going  to  let 
you  get  the  drop  on  him,  as  you  seem  to  think 
you  can.  He 's  undoubtedly  watching  you 
right  along,  ready  to  put  an  end  to  the  busi- 
ness as  soon  as  he  thinks  you  're  really  danger- 
ous. Let  him  pay  you  if  he  will;  but  stop 
this  foolishness." 

Conrad  laughed  heartily  and  slapped  Ban- 
croft's shoulder.  "Why,  Aleck,"  said  he,  "the 
most  satisfaction  I  've  ever  had  comes  out  of 
knowing  that  I  'm  so  hot  on  his  tracks  that 
I  've  got  him  buffaloed.  Give  it  up  ?  Not 
much !  I  'm  going  to  lope  down  that  trail  at 
a  two-minute  gait,  and  Sumner  L.  Delafield 
is  mighty  soon  going  to  wish  he  'd  never  been 
born." 

Bancroft  turned  half  away,  with  a  tighten- 


264        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

ing  of  his  lips  under  his  brown  moustache. 
"  Very  well.  I  '11  not  trouble  you  with  any 
more  advice  on  the  subject.  But  when  you 
meet  with  disaster,  as  you  undoubtedly  will, 
you  must  remember  that  you  've  got  nobody 
but  yourself  to  blame.  How 's  the  trial 
going?  "  he  asked  abruptly. 

"  Pretty  fast;  the  case  will  go  to  the  jury 
to-morrow.  It  won't  take  them  more  than  ten 
minutes  to  reach  a  verdict.  You  ought  to 
come  in  and  hear  Judge  Banks's  charge, 
Aleck.  Dan  tells  me  it 's  sure  to  be  interest- 
ing. He  says  you  never  can  tell  whether 
Banks  will  deliver  an  original  poem  or 
make  up  his  charge  out  of  quotations  from 
Shakespeare." 

As  the  banker  went  up  the  hill  to  his  home 
he  remembered  that  he  had  heard  Rutherford 
Jenkins  was  in  town.  To-morrow  he  must  see 
the  man  and  try  again  to  induce  him  to  con- 
sider the  dangers  of  an  indictment  for  con- 
spiracy. At  any  rate,  he  would  hold  that 
affidavit  of  Melgares'  up  his  sleeve,  and  the 
time  might  come  when  it  would  be  efficacious, 
even  should  Jenkins  still  scoff  at  it  now.  Con- 
rad —  he  had  given  Conrad  another  warning, 
as  plain  as  day,  and  if  the  man  would  rush 
on  recklessly  he  must  take  the  consequences. 


SENTENCE  OF  DEATH          265 

Jose  Gonzalez  was  still  at  Socorro  Springs  — 
an  accident  could  happen  —  and  there  was  no 
time  to  lose! 

Lucy  saw  her  father  coming  when  he  was 
a  block  away  and,  instead  of  running  to  the 
gate  to  meet  him,  pretended  not  to  have  no- 
ticed him,  and  hastened  into  the  house.  Louise 
Dent  remained  on  the  veranda,  pushing  for- 
ward a  lounging  chair  for  him  as  he  mounted 
the  steps.  She  saw  that  he  looked  paler  and 
more  haggard  than  usual,  and  she  longed  to 
put  her  arms  about  him,  as  a  mother  might 
around  a  suffering  child,  and  charm  away  his 
trouble  and  wretchedness.  In  her  maiden  life 
the  innate  mother-longing  had  found  little  ap- 
peasement; and  so,  when  this  youthful  love 
came  into  her  enriched  and  mellowed  heart 
of  middle  life,  it  gathered  into  itself  the  re- 
pressed yearning  of  her  nature,  and  the  ma- 
ternal side  of  it  was  strong  and  fierce.  She 
neither  condoned  nor  belittled  the  sins  of  the 
man  she  loved.  For  his  wrongdoing  and  the 
suffering  he  had  caused  she  felt  sorrow,  pity, 
remorse  —  remorse  almost  as  keen  as  if  she 
herself  had  been  the  guilty  one.  But  her  love 
enfolded  him  in  spite  of  his  sins,  and  even 
included  them.  For  she  told  herself  that  if 
he  had  not  been  guilty  she  might  never  have 


266        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

known  him,  their  paths  might  never  have 
crossed. 

In  gentle,  unobtrusive  ways  she  ministered 
to  his  comfort;  then,  sitting  beside  him,  her 
calm  brow  and  steady  eyes  giving  no  sign  of 
the  tumult  in  her  heart,  she  talked  with  sym- 
pathy and  interest,  gradually  leading  his 
thoughts  away  from  the  present  into  happy 
plans  for  the  future.  With  keen  satisfaction 
she  saw  the  weary,  desperate  look  fade  from 
his  face  and  eyes,  giving  place  to  one  of  com- 
fort and  content,  and  the  assurance  that  she 
had  made  him  forget  his  troubles,  even  for 
a  little  while,  filled  her  heart  with  pleasure. 

Lucy,  sitting  in  her  room,  heard  the  mur- 
mur of  their  voices  through  her  open  win- 
dows. Her  high  spirits  of  the  hour  before 
were  gone,  and  she  sat  dejected,  her  face 
mournful,  and  her  head  hanging  like  a  flower 
broken  on  its  stem.  Presently  she  slipped 
down  to  the  conservatory,  took  the  pot  of 
cactus  Conrad  had  given  her,  ran  across  the 
back-yard,  and  threw  it  over  the  fence.  Then 
she  joined  her  father  and  Louise,  seating  her- 
self on  the  arm  of  his  chair  and  throwing  her 
arm  around  his  neck  as  she  asked  with  lov- 
ing concern  about  his  welfare,  told  him  he 
had  not  been  looking  well  of  late,  and  that  he 


SENTENCE  OF  DEATH          267 

was  working  too  hard  and  ought  to  have  a 
rest.  But  that  evening,  after  dinner,  she 
rushed  across  the  yard  and  out  of  the  gate, 
and  gathered  up  the  cactus  pot  in  her  arms 
as  if  it  were  some  small  animal  she  had  hurt. 
She  returned  it  to  its  place  in  the  conserva- 
tory, pressing  her  hands  around  it  until  its 
spines  brought  little  drops  of  blood. 

"  I  can't  help  it !  "  she  exclaimed  in  a  vehe- 
ment whisper.  "  I  have  to  like  him,  and  I 
shan't  try  any  more  not  to!  He  wouldn't 
hurt  daddy,  I  know  he  would  n't  —  because 

—  because  he  wouldn't  —  and  because  —  he 
loves  me ! "    A  tiny  smile  curved  her  lips  as 
she  touched  the  plant  caressingly  and  pres- 
ently   her    whisper    went   on :    "If    I    could 
only   tell   daddy  that  he  need  n't  be   afraid 
or  worried!     Oh,  I  wish  I  could!     But  he 
must  n't   guess   I   know."     Her   lips   ceased 
moving   and   she    stared   unseeingly   at   the 
cactus,   as  her  thought  slowly  took  shape: 
"  It 's  worrying  daddy  awfully,  and  I  must  n't 
let  it  go  on  any  longer.    I  '11  tell  Mr.  Conrad 
who  Delafield  is  and  he  '11  stop  right  then 

—  I  know  he  will.     He  '11  despise  us  after- 
ward —  oh,  he  won't  love  me  after  that !  — 
but  —  poor  daddy !   he  won't  be  worried  any 
more." 


268        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

Bancroft  and  Miss  Dent  were  alike  con- 
vinced that  his  pursuer  would  be  ruthless  in 
the  fulfilment  of  revenge.  Arguing  from 
their  knowledge  of  men,  their  experience  of 
the  world,  and  their  observation  of  his  char- 
acter, each  had  come  to  the  fixed  conclusion 
that  no  softening  of  heart  or  staying  of  hand 
could  be  expected  from  him  when  he  knew 
the  truth.  Lucy,  having  neither  knowledge 
of  men  nor  experience  of  the  world  to  guide 
her,  had  not  reasoned  about  the  matter  at 
all.  She  had  jumped  at  once  to  her  conclu- 
sion, as  soon  as  she  knew  her  father's  iden- 
tity, that  he  had  nothing  to  fear  from  Curtis. 
Her  decision  was  partly  due  to  her  own  tem- 
perament, which  she  instinctively  felt  to  be 
somewhat  akin  to  Conrad's,  and  partly  to  her 
knowledge  of  a  side  of  his  character  of  which 
Louise  knew  little  and  her  father  still  less. 
It  was  further  strengthened  by  her  intuition 
that  he  loved  her  —  something  the  young  man 
himself  had  not  yet  realized.  Other  than  this 
belief  in  his  love  she  could  have  offered  no 
reason  for  her  assurance  that  he  would  give 
over  his  purpose  as  soon  as  he  learned  to 
whose  door  his  quest  was  leading  him.  But 
neither  her  father  nor  Louise,  had  it  been  pos- 
sible for  them  to  argue  with  her,  could  have 
shaken  her  conviction. 


SENTENCE  OF  DEATH          269 

The  next  day  Bancroft,  Conrad,  and  Pendle- 
ton  went  together  to  the  court-house  to  see 
the  closing  scenes  of  the  Melgares  trial.  The 
leading  men  of  the  town  were  there,  as  well 
as  the  usual  hangers-on  of  a  court-room,  and 
a  few  women,  both  Mexican  and  American, 
sat  in  a  little  railed  space  at  one  side.  Every 
seat  was  filled,  and  a  standing  line  of  late 
comers  fringed  the  walls.  Across  the  room 
Bancroft  saw  Rutherford  Jenkins.  The  crowd 
was  disappointed  by  the  judge's  charge  to  the 
jury,  which  was  brief,  simple,  and  confined 
to  bare  statements  of  law  and  fact.  So  it  sat 
still  and  waited  after  the  jury  had  filed  out, 
feeling  sure  that  the  deliberation  would  not  be 
long,  and  that  something  interesting  might 
be  expected  afterward  from  the  judge;  for 
he  had  the  reputation  of  doing  and  saying 
whimsical  things.  He  was  a  bookish  man, 
who  studied  his  law  volumes  much,  but  for 
relaxation  turned  often  to  romance  and  poetry. 
He  had  a  knack  for  making  jingles  himself, 
and  his  pronouncements  from  the  bench, 
whether  he  was  charging  a  jury,  calling  for 
order,  sentencing  a  prisoner,  or  making  peace 
between  warring  attorneys,  were  as  likely  as 
not  to  be  in  rhyme  of  his  own  improvisation 
or  in  aptly  applied  quotations  from  the  words 
of  the  mighty. 


270        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

The  jury  came  back  presently  with  a  ver- 
dict of  murder  in  the  first  degree.  Judge 
Banks  asked  the  prisoner  if  he  knew  of  any 
reason  why  the  court  should  not  sustain  the 
finding  of  the  jury.  Melgares  said  nothing, 
and  Dellmey  Baxter,  his  counsel,  who  had 
made  the  best  fight  for  the  Mexican  that  he 
could,  shook  his  head;  he  had  given  his  ser- 
vices, and  cared  to  take  no  further  trouble. 
All  that  now  stood  between  the  prisoner  and 
the  gallows  was  a  little  space  of  time.  The 
judge  looked  out  of  the  window  into  the 
trembling  green  depths  of  the  cottonwoods 
beside  the  court-house,  and  for  a  moment  there 
was  silence  in  the  room.  He  was  a  slight 
man,  with  dreamy  blue  eyes,  and  a  square, 
fine  face,  framed  by  side-whiskers,  short  and 
thin.  It  was  quite  like  him  to  be  trying  to 
realize,  in  that  brief  moment,  just  how  it 
would  seem  to  have  the  gallows  looming  in 
one's  path  so  short  a  way  ahead. 

He  ordered  the  prisoner  to  stand.  Sheriff 
Tillinghurst,  his  usual  smile  absent  from  his 
kindly  face,  helped  Melgares  to  his  feet.  The 
Mexican's  wife,  who  had  been  seated  beside 
him,  drooped  forward,  her  breast  shaken  with 
sobs  and  her  lips  moving  in  whispers  of 
prayer. 


SENTENCE  OF  DEATH          271 

"  Jose  Maria  Melgares,  you  have  heard  the 
finding  of  the  jury,"  began  the  judge,  and 
waited  for  the  sonorous  voice  of  the  court 
interpreter  to  send  the  words  rolling  in  mu- 
sical Spanish  over  the  room,  "  and  it  is  now 
necessary  for  me  to  pronounce  upon  you  the 
sentence  of  this  court.  The  rains  will  soon 
be  here,  Jose  Maria  Melgares,  the  grass  will 
spring  forth,  the  flowers  bloom,  and  all  the 
plains  and  hillsides  grow  green  and  luxu- 
riant. But  you  will  not  be  here  to  see  and 
enjoy  their  beauty,  Jose  Maria  Melgares. 
The  rains  of  Summer,  the  golden  days  of 
October,  the  storms  of  Winter,  will  all  alike 
pass  unknown  and  unheeded  over  your  head. 
Spring  will  come  again  with  its  new  life,  and 
the  lambs  will  frolic  beside  their  mothers  and 
the  little  calves  bleat  in  the  valleys.  But  your 
eyes  will  not  see  the  sights,  nor  your  ears 
hear  the  sounds,  Jose  Maria  Melgares.  It 
will  not  matter  to  you  that  the  skies  of  New 
Mexico  bend  blue  and  beautiful  above  your 
head.  The  stars  will  march  across  the  mid- 
night heavens,  proclaiming  that  God  is  good, 
and  that  He  holds  the  universe  in  the  hollow 
of  His  hand.  Day  after  day  the  sun  will  rise 
in  his  fiery  might  and  blazon  forth  upon  earth 
and  sky  the  goodness  and  the  glory  of  the 


272        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

Almighty.  The  moon  will  swim  across  the 
violet  skies  of  night,  wax  from  slender  cres- 
cent to  fair  white  disk,  and  wane  again.  But 
to  you,  Jose  Maria  Melgares,  it  will  all  be  as 
nothing.  For  you,  life  is  a  tale  that  has  been 
told;  there  is  nothing  more  for  you  now, 
Jose  Maria  Melgares,  save  the  moral,  and 
even  that  is  no  longer  of  interest  to  you.  For 
you  have  been  guilty  of  a  heinous  crime,  Jose 
Maria  Melgares;  you  have  taken  the  life  of 
your  fellow-man,  and  therefore  your  life  is 
forfeit.  It  is  the  sentence  of  this  court,  Jose 
Maria  Melgares,  that  you  be  hanged  by  the 
neck  until  dead.  And  may  God  have  mercy 
upon  your  soul !  " 

The  last  melodious  syllables  of  the  inter- 
preter's voice  resounded  through  the  room, 
and  died  in  sudden  silence.  Then  the  mo- 
ment's hush  was  broken  by  a  shriek  as  Sefiora 
Melgares  sprang  to  her  feet,  stretching  her 
arms  out  wildly  to  the  judge. 

"  No,  no,  Senor  Judge !  It  is  not  right  that 
my  husband  should  die,"  she  cried  out  in 
Spanish.  "  He  was  made  to  steal  the  mare, 
and  the  man  who  hired  him  to  do  it  and 
brought  all  this  trouble  upon  us  —  he  is  the 
one  who  should  die !  There  he  sits  over  there ! 
Senor  Jenkins,  Don  Rutherford  Jenkins !  He 


SENTENCE  OF  DEATH          273 

is  the  one  who  made  my  husband  steal  the 
mare,  who  gave  him  money  to  do  it,  because 
he  had  a  grudge  against  Sefior  Conrad;  and 
he  is  the  one  —  " 

Sheriff  Tillinghurst,  his  hand  on  her  shoul- 
der, was  urging  her  to  sit  down,  her  husband 
was  ordering  her  to  stop,  and  there  was  a 
sudden  hubbub  all  over  the  room.  The  judge 
rapped  on  his  desk  and  threatened  to  have 
the  room  cleared.  Jenkins  sat  quite  still, 
glaring  wrathfully  at  Bancroft.  Conrad 
clenched  his  fist,  his  blue  eyes  blazing  as  he 
exploded  an  oath  into  Pendleton's  ear ;  it  was 
his  first  intimation  that  the  man  from  Las 
Vegas  had  been  behind  the  attempted  theft 
of  his  mare. 

Jenkins  was  waiting  for  Bancroft  at  the 
door  of  the  bank.  "  I  want  to  see  you  at  once, 
in  private,"  he  said  curtly,  and  without  a  word 
the  banker  led  the  way  to  his  office.  "  A  nice 
trick  you  played  me,"  Jenkins  began,  his 
voice  hot  and  sneering.  "  I  thought  of  going 
straight  to  Conrad ;  and  that 's  what  I  ought 
to  have  done,  to  serve  you  right." 

"  Well,  why  did  n't  you?  "  Bancroft  asked, 
impassively. 

Jenkins  took  quick  alarm.  Had  the  young 
ranchman,  with  his  impetuous  loyalty,  told  his 

18 


274       THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

friend  what  had  happened  in  the  Albuquerque 
hotel?  But  perhaps  Bancroft  was  only  bluff- 
ing, in  which  case  he  himself  could  bluff  as 
well  as  another.  "  I  did  n't  because  I  thought 
it  would  be  the  square  thing  to  see  you  first, 
and  find  out  if  you  have  any  explanation  to 
offer  of  that  woman's  performance.  Unless 
you  can  satisfy  me  you  had  nothing  to  do 
with  it,  I  shall  see  Conrad  and  tell  him  every- 
thing he  does  n't  know  about  you  before  I 
leave  town  to-night." 

Bancroft  reflected.  If  Jenkins  approached 
Curtis  in  that  young  man's  present  mood 
there  was  ample  likelihood  that  the  black- 
mailer would  never  trouble  him  again.  Yet 
there  was  the  chance  that  he  might  say  in 
time  to  save  himself  the  word  that  would  stay 
Conrad's  hand.  He  dared  not  take  the  chance. 

"  I  advise  you,"  he  said  slowly,  "if  you  value 
a  whole  skin,  not  to  go  near  Curt  Conrad 
while  he  is  in  the  state  of  mind  in  which  I 
just  left  him.  As  for  Sefiora  Melgares,  are 
you  crazy  enough  to  suppose  I  had  anything 
to  do  with  that?" 

"  It 's  evident,  Bancroft,  that  you  put  her 
up  to  something  you  were  afraid  to  do  your- 
self. You  wanted  to  put  me  in  a  hole,  and 
you  got  her  to  do  it  for  you." 


SENTENCE  OF  DEATH          275 

Bancroft  made  a  gesture  of  annoyance. 
"  Oh,  well,  if  you  Ve  got  no  more  sabe  than 
that  —  "  he  began,  but  went  on  quietly,  "  I 
give  you  my  word  of  honor  —  " 

'  The  word  of  honor  of  Sumner  L.  Dela- 
field !  "  Jenkins  sneered. 

The  banker's  eyes  flashed  as  he  made  an 
impulsive  start,  but  he  went  on  with  quiet 
emphasis :  "I  give  you  my  word  of  honor 
that  I  knew  no  more  than  you  what  the  Mel- 
gares  woman  was  going  to  say  when  she 
jumped  up.  You  ought  to  see  yourself  that 
it  would  have  been  to  my  advantage  to  keep 
this  knowledge  entirely  in  my  own  hands." 

"  Nevertheless,"  Jenkins  replied  sullenly, 
"  you  could  have  prevented  her  outbreak  if 
you  'd  wanted  to ;  and  if  there  are  any  legal 
proceedings  started  against  me  because  of 
what  she  said  I  expect  you  and  Dell  Baxter 
to  stop  them  at  once.  And  I  want  you  to 
give  me,  before  I  leave  this  room,  a  sum  of 
money  or  a  check  equal  to  what  I  receive  on 
the  first  of  every  month.  And  understand 
that  this  has  no  connection  with  that  pay- 
ment, which  will  come  on  the  first  of  next 
month,  as  agreed.  It 's  little  enough,  after 
this  outrage." 

Bancroft  glared  at  his  companion  for  a 


276        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

moment ;  Jenkins  sat  up  with  a  defiant  look  and 
glared  back.  The  banker  turned  to  his  desk 
and  wrote  the  check  without  a  word.  "  And 
the  woman's  charge?  "  the  other  asked  threat- 
eningly, as  he  took  it. 

"  If  any  action  is  begun  I  '11  do  my  best 
to  stop  it." 

Well  satisfied  with  the  result,  Jenkins  has- 
tened down  the  street,  intending  to  cross  over 
to  his  hotel  at  the  next  bridge  and  wait  in 
the  privacy  of  his  room  until  train  time.  As 
he  approached  the  court-house  corner  Sheriff 
Tillinghurst,  Little  Jack  Wilder,  Pendleton, 
and  Conrad  came  out  of  the  building.  Curtis 
saw  the  hurrying  figure,  and  the  light  of  battle 
leaped  into  his  eyes.  He  rushed  past  the 
others,  and  before  Jenkins  had  time  to  draw 
his  revolver  was  upon  him  and  had  pinioned 
his  arms. 

Pendleton  ran  forward,  shouting,  "  Give  it 
to  him,  Curt !  He  deserves  it !  " 

"  Jack,"  smiled  the  sheriff,  "  I  reckon  this 
is  goin'  to  be  a  sure  good  scrap,  but  we  don't 
need  to  see  it.  We  'd  better  hike."  And  they 
disappeared  up  the  side  street. 

Jenkins  was  vainly  struggling  to  reach  his 
hip  pocket.  Conrad  got  him  down,  set  one 
knee  on  his  chest,  plucked  forth  the  gun,  and 


SENTENCE  OF  DEATH  277 

threw  it  to  Pendleton.  "  Now,  you  damned 
skunk,"  he  exclaimed,  "  you  're  going  to  get 
every  lick  that 's  coming  to  you !  I  won't 
dirty  powder  by  using  my  gun  on  you,  but 
I  'm  sure  going  to  set  the  standard  for  lick- 
ings in  this  town." 

And  to  this  day,  in  the  city  of  Golden,  the 
pummelling  that  Rutherford  Jenkins  forth- 
with received  is  spoken  of  as  the  utmost 
measure  of  punishment  that  a  man  may  take 
and  live.  At  the  end  Conrad  took  the  limp 
body  under  one  arm  and  carried  it  to  the 
physician's  office.  "  Here,  Doc,"  he  said,  "  is 
some  work  for  you.  Send  the  bill  to  me." 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

PLOTS   AND   COUNTERPLOTS 

FOURTH  of  July  was  at  hand,  and  Lucy 
Bancroft  made  ready  for  their  stay  at 
the  Socorro  Springs  ranch  with  a  re- 
solve in  her  heart.  Some  time  during  their 
two  days'  visit  she  would  tell  Curtis  Conrad 
the  truth  about  her  father.  Of  course,  many 
people  would  be  there,  and  the  superintendent 
would  be  busy,  but  she  expected  to  see  a  good 
deal  of  him  —  he  was  sure  to  show  her  much 
attention  —  and  it  would  not  be  hard  to  find 
the  few  minutes  of  privacy  in  which  to  im- 
part the  secret.  She  was  quite  sure  that  the 
knowledge  would  bring  to  a  harmless  end  his 
long  quest  of  vengeance,  and  that  at  once  he 
would  cease  his  pursuit  of  Delafield.  But  she 
was  equally  sure  that  he  would  no  longer  love 
her  or  be  friendly  with  her  father.  "  He  can't 
respect  either  of  us  after  that,"  she  mused. 
"  He  '11  feel  toward  us  just  as  he  does  toward 
Mr.  Baxter ;  and  I  can't  blame  him,  for  we  're 
worse  than  Mr.  Baxter  is."  Her  heart  pleaded 


PLOTS  AND  COUNTERPLOTS    279 

eagerly  for  a  little  period  of  grace  in  which 
to  feel  his  love  and  live  it,  to  take  delight 
in  his  favor  and  admiration.  She  need  not 
tell  him  at  the  outset. 

While  Lucy  was  considering  and  deciding 
upon  her  action,  on  the  morning  before  the 
Fourth,  Mrs.  Ned  Castleton  was  saying  to 
her  husband  in  the  privacy  of  the  great,  empty 
plain  across  which  they  were  taking  an  early 
gallop : 

"  I  know  why  Lena  was  so  willing  to  come 
down  here  with  Turner  and  us.  You  'd  never 
guess,  Ned." 

"  Of  course  I  could  n't,  Francisquita.  So 
you  '11  have  to  tell  me." 

"  I  know  I  shall  have  to,  for  you  'd  never 
discover  it  yourself,  until  too  late  to  do  any- 
thing about  it.  She  did  n't  come  because  she 
wanted  to  see  the  place,  —  though  she 's  never 
been  here  before,  you  know,  —  nor  because 
she  thought  it  would  be  something  unusual 
to  do,  nor  because  she  cares  any  more  about 
Turner's  affairs  than  she  did  last  year,  nor 
even  because  she  wanted  to  keep  track  of  me, 
nor  because  —  " 

"  Never  mind  the  did  n'ts,  Fanny !  Let 's 
skip  ahead  to  why  she  did." 

"  That 's  just  like  you,  Ned.     You  never 


28o        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

can  understand  what  a  flavor  it  gives  to  some- 
thing that  really  is  to  consider  first  all  the 
things  that  it  is  n't." 

"  Well,  you  've  had  the  flavor,  now  you 
can  give  me  the  fact.  I  Ve  wondered  myself 
why  she  was  so  gracious  about  coming  with 
us/' 

"Yes;  wasn't  it  surprising?  It  puzzled 
me  so  that  I  could  n't  give  up  thinking  about 
it  until  I  solved  the  mystery." 

"  And  are  n't  you  going  to  let  me  into  the 
secret?  " 

"Of  course  I  am,  Ned;  that's  what  I'm 
doing  right  now!  I  studied  about  it  on  the 
way  here,  and  I  managed  to  find  out  a  lot 
of  things  it  was  n't.  But  I  did  n't  discover 
what  it  was  till  after  we  reached  the  ranch." 

"Well,  what  did  you  find  out  then?" 

:(  Why,  Ned,  I  'm  telling  you  just  as  fast 
as  I  can!  Although  I  think  I  know  Lena 
pretty  well,  and  am  quite  accustomed  to  her 
doing  things  that  nobody  else  would  think  of, 
really,  Ned,  I  was  so  surprised  at  this  freak 
that  you  could  have  knocked  me  down  with 
a  feather!" 

Ned  Castleton  looked  caressingly  at  the 
slender,  graceful  figure  of  his  wife,  erect  upon 
her  horse,  and  smiled  broadly.  "  Fanny,  I  'm 


PLOTS  AND  COUNTERPLOTS    281 

in  that  condition  right  now,  from  unassuaged 
curiosity.  Please  knock  me  down  with  a 
feather  and  then  go  on  and  tell  me  this  deep, 
dark  secret." 

She  tickled  his  cheek  with  her  quirt.  "Why, 
Ned,  I  Ve  been  telling  you  all  about  it  for  the 
last  five  minutes,  but  you  won't  understand 
what  I  mean.  It 's  all  because  she 's  im- 
mensely taken  with  your  handsome  superin- 
tendent, and  she 's  deeply  interested  in  the 
cattle  business  because  she  wants  him  to  ex- 
plain it  to  her !  " 

Castleton  gave  an  incredulous  laugh. 
"  Nonsense,  Francisquita !  You  are  a  clever 
woman,  my  dear,  especially  when  it  comes 
to  divining  what  your  dearly  beloved  sister- 
in-law  is  planning  to  do  year  after  next.  But 
you  two  women  do  get  most  remarkable  no- 
tions about  each  other  sometimes." 

Mrs.  Castleton  shrugged  her  shoulders, 
tapped  her  horse,  and  bounded  ahead.  They 
raced  for  a  mile  before  she  allowed  him  to 
regain  his  place  at  her  side.  "  Granting  that 
you  're  right,  Francisquita,"  he  said,  "  what 
makes  you  think  so  ?  " 

"  Why,  Ned,  it 's  perfectly  plain.  I  Ve  seen 
Lena  pave  the  way  for  too  many  flirtations 
not  to  know  exactly  what  she  's  doing  now. 


282        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

And  she  's  preparing  to  have  a  perfectly  furi- 
ous affair  with  Mr.  Conrad." 

Castleton  kept  discreet  silence  for  some 
moments  and  studied  the  horizon.  When  he 
turned  again  to  his  wife  he  asked,  "  Well, 
dear,  what  are  you  going  to  do  about 
it?" 

Francisquita  Castleton  was  half  Mexican, 
and  on  her  mother's  side  could  trace  descent 
through  a  long  line  of  dons  back  to  a  valiant 
governor  and  captain-general  of  the  province 
who  had  done  great  deeds  nearly  two  hun- 
dred years  before.  Her  heritage  had  dowered 
her  well  with  the  instinctive  coquetry,  the 
supple,  unconscious  grace,  the  feminine,  art- 
less art  that  are  the  birthright  of  the  women 
of  Spanish  blood.  All  of  it  was  in  the  move- 
ment of  her  arm,  the  turn  of  her  neck,  and 
the  poise  of  her  head  as  she  raised  her  veil 
and  lifted  her  face  toward  her  husband.  Her 
voice  was  as  soft  as  velvet  and  as  caressing 
as  an  infant's  palm  as  she  exclaimed: 

"Do  anything?  I?  Why,  Ned  Castleton, 
how  you  surprise  me!  Why  should  I  inter- 
fere with  Lena's  whims  ?  " 

Castleton  laughed.  "  Ask  me  something 
easy,  Fanny !  I  'm  sure  I  don't  know  why 
you  should,  but  I  've  noticed  that  Lena's  plans 


PLOTS  AND  COUNTERPLOTS    283 

sometimes  shrivel  up  like  a  stuck  balloon.  Of 
course,  it  may  be  mere  chance." 

"  No,  Ned ;  it  is  n't  chance  at  all.  It 's  only 
because  Lena  does  n't  plan  carefully  enough." 

He  took  time  for  reflection.  "  I  say,  Fran- 
cisquita,"  he  presently  broke  out,  "  if  you  're 
right  about  this  —  and  I  must  admit  you  don't 
often  miss  it  about  Lena  —  it  may  be  a  seri- 
ous matter." 

"  Of  course  I  'm  right,  Ned.  You  '11  soon 
see  for  yourself  just  how  things  are  going. 
You  know  Lena  likes  admiration  and  she  likes 
having  her  own  way  and  she  dearly  loves 
making  Turner  jealous  and  she's  positively 
unhappy  if  every  man  in  sight  is  n't  prancing 
along  in  her  train.  Mr.  Conrad  is  a  fine- 
looking  young  man,  and  he  made  a  very  good 
appearance  when  she  saw  him  in  San  Fran- 
cisco last  year.  I  suppose  she  thought  he 
did  n't  yield  to  her  fascinations  as  he  should, 
so  she  decided  to  come  down  here  and  gather 
him  in.  She  knows  she  '11  be  awfully  bored 
unless  she  can  make  her  flirtation  with  him 
—  well  —  ardent  enough  to  keep  her  inter- 
ested. I  know  enough  about  Lena  to  see  that 
she 's  planning  to  have  an  affair  that  will 
keep  her  and  Turner  and  Mr.  Conrad  simply 
sizzling  as  long  as  we  stay." 


284        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

Castleton  gave  a  long,  low  whistle.  "  Tur- 
ner gets  more  jealous  with  every  flirtation 
Lena  has,  and  this  whim  of  hers  may  prove 
serious.  Conrad  is  the  best  superintendent 
this  ranch  ever  had,  and  we  want  to  keep 
him.  But  if  Turner  gets  jealous  he  '11  have 
to  go  —  and  mighty  quick,  too.  And  if  he 
does  n't  promptly  succumb  to  Lena's  fascina- 
tions —  well,  she 's  just  vain  enough  to  carry 
some  story  about  him  to  Turner,  so  that  we  'd 
have  to  let  him  out  for  the  sake  of  peace.  We 
can't  afford  to  lose  Conrad,  Fanny.  I  '11  pro- 
pose to  Turner  that  we  cut  our  stay  short 
and  go  the  day  after  the  Fourth.  We  '11  have 
to  be  here  for  the  barbecue,  of  course." 

"  Really,  Ned,  that 's  just  like  a  man !  Don't 
you  know  Lena  can't  be  managed  that  way? 
She  'd  suspect  at  once  that  I  was  at  the  bot- 
tom of  it  and  wanted  to  get  her  away  from 
here,  and  then  nothing  could  induce  her  to 
go.  And  you  know,  Ned,  she  always  winds 
Turner  around  her  finger  as  if  he  were  a  piece 
of  silk.  I  can't  understand  why  American 
wives  take  so  much  pleasure  in  managing 
their  husbands;  we  Mexican  women  don't 
care  to  do  that  sort  of  thing."  It  was  a  prim 
little  figure  that  pronounced  the  last  sentence 


PLOTS  AND  COUNTERPLOTS    285 

—  save  for  the  coquettish  turn  of  the  head 
and  a  melting  glance  of  dark  eyes  that  flashed 
for  a  moment  upon  her  husband. 

He  bent  toward  her  a  lover's  face.  "  But 
you  know  how  to  manage  just  the  same, 
Francisquita,  mi  corazon.  Can't  you  think  of 
some  way  to  head  Lena  off  and  get  her  away 
before  she  does  any  mischief  ?  " 

Francisquita  turned  a  contemplative  eye 
upon  the  forest  of  crimson-flowered  cactus 
through  which  they  were  riding.  '  Well,  I 
don't  know  that  I  can  do  anything  —  still, 
Lena's  methods  are  always  so  —  broad!  I 
suppose  I  might  try,  if  you  'd  like  me  to.  It 
might  have  some  effect  if  I  stepped  in  right 
away  —  you  wouldn't  mind  it,  would  you, 
Ned?  —  and  did  a  little  flirting  with  Mr. 
Conrad  on  my  own  account;  not  very  much, 
you  know;  but  I  could  manage  to  keep  him 
busy  about  things  —  oh,  you  understand!  — 
just  make  it  pleasant  for  him  to  be  with  me. 
Really,  Ned,  Lena  has  n't  much  chance  if  I 
start  even  with  her ;  we  've  tried  it  before  — 
you  remember  —  I  told  you  all  about  it  at  the 
time  —  and  I  think  she  '11  quit  right  away  and 
want  to  go  home,  or  somewhere,  as  soon  as 
she  sees  what  I  'm  doing." 


286        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

Castleton  laughed  aloud.  "  And  poor  Con- 
rad !  What 's  to  become  of  him  in  the  midst 
of  all  these  sighs  and  glances  ?  " 

She  threw  him  a  smiling  glance,  and  broke 
into  a  little,  low  laugh.  "  Oh,  he  won't  mind ! 
He  's  no  silly !  And  he  does  n't  care  anything 
about  the  ladies,  anyway." 

"  But  suppose,  Fanny,"  her  husband  teased, 
"that  he  should  prefer  Lena's  methods  after  all, 
and  cast  himself  at  her  feet  instead  of  yours?" 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders  and  turned 
toward  him  with  a  smile  trembling  at  the  cor- 
ners of  her  mouth.  "  Oh,  in  that  case  he 
would  quite  deserve  to  lose  his  position." 

"But  what  about  me?  Should  I  deserve 
to  lose  him  ?  " 

She  tapped  her  horse  and  darted  ahead, 
throwing  back  a  laughing  retort :  "  Of  course 
you  would,  for  not  having  married  a  more 
attractive  wife ! " 

Later  in  the  day  Mrs.  Ned  Castleton  was 
busily  engaged  with  Curtis  Conrad  and  his 
brother  Homer  in  the  grove  of  cottonwoods 
across  the  road  from  the  ranch  house,  show- 
ing them  where  to  hang  the  last  of  the  Jap- 
anese lanterns.  Many  people  had  already 
arrived  and  were  scattered  through  the  grove, 
or  were  wandering  about  the  corral.  Others 


PLOTS  AND  COUNTERPLOTS    287 

were  in  the  stockade  behind  the  house,  where 
Red  Jack,  Nosey  Ike,  and  Jose  Gonzalez  were 
quartering  the  steer  for  the  barbecue,  and 
Hank  Peters  and  Texas  Bill  were  heaping 
wood  on  the  fire  where  it  was  to  be  roasted. 
In  the  grove  long  tables  had  been  made  of 
planks  and  a  floor  laid  for  dancing.  The  lan- 
terns hung  in  festoons  around  the  platform 
and  depended  from  the  branches  of  the  trees. 
Conrad  saw  Bancroft,  Lucy,  and  Miss  Dent 
driving  up,  and  went  to  meet  them. 

Mrs.  Ned  Castleton  beckoned  to  her  hus- 
band. "  I  'm  sure  Lena  is  going  to  do  some- 
thing perfectly  outrageous,"  she  said  softly 
as  they  went  to  greet  the  arrivals,  "  some- 
thing that  will  fairly  knock  us  off  our  feet. 
She  has  looked  so  indifferent  and  so  innocent 
all  day  and  has  been  so  sweet  to  me  that  I  'm 
expecting  a  thunder  clap  every  minute.  I 
hope  it  won't  be  anything  disgraceful." 

It  was  one  of  Mrs.  Ned's  important  occu- 
pations, and  she  considered  it  her  chief  duty, 
for  the  sake,  as  she  often  told  her  husband, 
"  of  preserving  at  least  a  shred  of  the  Castle- 
ton  reputation,"  to  discover  the  daring  whims 
of  her  sister-in-law  and  nip  them  in  the  bud 
before  they  were  ready  to  blossom  upon  the 
world.  Francisquita  knew  also  that  Mrs. 


288        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

Turner  enjoyed  saying  and  doing  audacious 
things,  quite  as  much  because  they  shocked 
Mrs.  Ned  as  because  they  gave  her  a  piquant 
vogue  in  San  Francisco  society.  "  I  won- 
der what  it  is  going  to  be,"  she  repeated  in  a 
whisper  to  her  husband  as  they  came  back 
with  Conrad  and  the  Bancroft  party  and  went 
in  search  of  Mrs.  Turner.  They  found  her 
sitting  beside  one  of  the  tables,  the  centre  of 
a  group  of  men.  Lucy,  looking  with  interest, 
saw  a  large,  golden-haired  woman  in  a  blue 
linen  gown,  that  fitted  perfectly  her  well  cor- 
seted figure,  and  a  blue  picture  hat,  that 
matched  the  hue  of  her  eyes.  Her  complexion 
of  exquisite  fairness  and  delicacy  of  coloring, 
and  features  of  perfect  regularity  and  propor- 
tion, made  Lucy  own  to  herself  that  she  de- 
served her  reputation  as  "  the  beautiful  Mrs. 
Castleton." 

!<  What  are  we  going  to  do  all  the  rest  of 
the  day?  "  Mrs.  Turner  presently  said,  hiding 
a  little  yawn  behind  diamond-decked  fingers. 
"  It  is  n't  three  o'clock  yet,  and  it  seems  as 
if  it  ought  to  be  the  day  after  to-morrow. 
Let 's  go  in  the  house  and  play  I  'm  a  barber. 
Mr.  Conrad,  will  you  let  me  shave  you  ?  " 

A  thrill  of  shocked  astonishment  went 
through  the  group.  Lucy  dropped  her  eyes 


PLOTS  AND  COUNTERPLOTS    289 

and  felt  her  cheeks  burn  and  Miss  Dent  turned 
uneasily  away.  Some  of  the  men  looked  at 
one  another  and  grinned ;  others  caught  their 
breath  and  avoided  their  neighbors'  eyes. 
Conrad  masked  a  moment's  hesitation  with 
a  gay  laugh. 

;'  I  would,  with  pleasure,  Mrs.  Castleton, 
if  I  had  time ;  but  just  now  I  'm  pretty  busy. 
Here  's  a  lot  of  fellows  with  nothing  to  do, 
who  '11  be  delighted  to  help  you  amuse 
yourself." 

Mrs.  Castleton  glanced  up  at  the  men  with 
a  confiding  smile.  "  I  believe  it 's  really  be- 
cause he  's  afraid ;  and  he  need  n't  be,  for  I 
do  it  very  well  —  don't  I,  Ned?"  Her 
brother-in-law  gave  gallant,  if  vague,  con- 
firmation, and  she  went  on :  "  And  he  knows, 
for  I  shave  him  every  time  he  comes  to  our 
house.  But  there 's  too  much  wind  out  here, 
it  would  dry  the  lather  too  quickly ;  let 's  go 
in  the  house."  She  rose,  and  one  of  the  men 
hastened  to  open  her  sunshade,  another  picked 
up  her  fan,  a  third  her  handkerchief,  and  the 
statuesque  blue  figure  with  its  group  of  satel- 
lites left  the  grove. 

"What  does  it  mean,  Fanny?  Is  this  a 
new  fad?"  Ned  Castleton  asked  his  wife. 
(<  I  never  heard  of  it  before,  and  she  took  my 

19 


290        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

breath  away  when  she  told  those  people  she 
always  shaved  me." 

"  You  backed  her  up  splendidly,  Ned ;  and 
I  think  you  'd  better  go  in  now  and  let  her 
shave  you  along  with  the  others." 

"  Fanny !  I  'd  as  soon  allow  her  to  black 
my  boots ! " 

"  But  if  she  wants  to,  Ned !  And  I  don't 
think  she  'd  hurt  you  much,  because  she 's 
been  practising  on  their  butler  for  a  month 
—  so  her  maid  told  mine,  though  I  'd  for- 
gotten all  about  it.  As  Turner's  brother  I 
really  think  you  ought  to  go  in  and  seem  to 
join  in  the  fun,  so  it  won't  look  quite  so  bad." 

"  If  Lena  does  n't  care  about  the  looks  of 
it,  why  should  I,  or  you?  " 

"  But  you  ought  to  care  on  Turner's  ac- 
count. It  would  be  dear  of  you,  Ned,  if  you 
would  go  in,  for  Turner's  sake,  and  lend  your 
countenance  to  the  affair." 

"  My  countenance,  Francisquita,  but  not  my 
face.  Since  you  're  so  anxious,  dear,  I  '11  go 
in  and  chaperon  this  shaving  party  if  you  '11 
tell  me  the  real  reason  why  you  want  me  to 
do  it.  Is  it  a  bargain  ?  " 

She  leaned  toward  him  with  a  delighted 
little  chuckle.  "  Don't  you  see,  Ned,  that  if 
you  go  in  and  I  stay  out  she  '11  think  that 


PLOTS  AND  COUNTERPLOTS    291 

I  'm  keeping  Mr.  Conrad  out  of  doors,  and 
she  will  be  so  angry  about  it  that  it  will  make 
her  nervous,  so  she  will  cut  their  faces  dread- 
fully, and  that  will  make  her  freak  such  a 
failure  that  she  '11  have  to  drop  it.  Do  go 
along,  Ned ;  for  I  'm  going  to  keep  your  man- 
ager busy  for  the  next  two  hours.  And,  by 
the  way,  dear,  if  you  should  come  out  and 
not  see  me  anywhere,  it 's  likely  to  be  because 
he  's  asked  me  to  drive  to  the  post-office  with 
him." 

She  sauntered  through  the  grove  toward 
the  pond  where  a  group  of  people  had  gath- 
ered under  a  big  tree.  She  knew  that  Curtis 
was  there,  with  the  Bancrofts.  Her  cousin 
Juan — "  Johnny  " — Martinez  was  with  them, 
and  so  was  Dellmey  Baxter.  Dan  Tilling- 
hurst  leaned  against  the  tree,  and  beside  him 
were  Emerson  Mead  and  his  young  wife,  from 
Las  Plumas.  Judge  Harlan  and  Colonel  Whit- 
taker,  the  former  with  his  wife  and  the  latter 
with  his  daughter,  had  also  come  from  Las 
Plumas,  where  a  political  peace  of  unusual 
length  and  stability  enabled  them  to  leave 
town  at  the  same  time,  and  together. 

Mrs.  Castleton  came  smiling  down  the  hill 
and  joined  in  the  general  talk.  But  in  five 
minutes  the  assemblage  had  broken  into  little 


292        THE   DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

groups  of  two  or  three,  of  which  she,  her 
cousin,  and  Conrad  made  one.  She  sent  Mar- 
tinez to  do  some  small  service  for  Miss  Whit- 
taker,  and  began  to  tell  Curtis  that  she  feared 
there  were  not  lanterns  enough.  Would  he 
come  and  look  at  them?  As  they  went  back 
to  the  grove  she  suggested  that  they  might 
get  paper  bags  from  the  store  at  White  Rock, 
fill  each  half  full  of  sand,  put  a  candle  in  it, 
and  set  them  in  rows  wherever  there  was 
room  for  them.  She  had  often  seen  her  na- 
tive town  illuminated  in  this  way  on  festa 
nights,  and  the  effect  was  really  very  beauti- 
ful. He  thought  it  a  good  idea  and  asked  if 
she  would  mind  driving  over  to  White  Rock 
with  him  to  help  select  the  best  sizes  and 
colors.  Five  minutes  later  Lucy  watched  them 
driving  away.  "  I  saw  how  Mrs.  Castleton 
was  manoeuvring,"  she  thought  with  an  angry 
throb  of  the  heart.  "  But  it  does  n't  matter 
the  least  bit.  I  can  have  quite  as  good  a  time 
with  anybody  else." 

Presently  she  seemed  greatly  pleased  when 
Homer  Conrad  asked  if  she  and  Miss  Dent 
would  like  to  see  the  horses.  They  made  the 
round  of  the  stables,  and  went  to  see  the  an- 
gora goats  in  their  enclosure  beyond  the  cor- 
ral, and  the  dog  kennels,  and  the  chicken 


PLOTS  AND  COUNTERPLOTS    293 

yard.  They  walked  across  the  alfalfa  field, 
and  amused  themselves  in  the  prairie  dog  vil- 
lage on  the  hillside  beyond.  Lucy  was  so 
interested  in  everything,  and  said  so  many 
bright  and  pleasant  things,  and  was  so  viva- 
cious, and  looked  so  pretty  with  her  dimples 
and  her  color  coming  and  going  and  her  big 
brown  eyes  sparkling,  that  Homer  thought 
her  quite  the  nicest,  jolliest  girl  he  had  seen 
in  a  long  time.  He  was  much  like  his  brother 
in  build,  though  less  sinewy  and  a  trifle  fleshier 
in  body;  while  in  manner  he  was  slower  and 
less  eager  and  alert.  His  eyes  showed  the 
same  bright  blue  tint,  but  their  expression 
was  mild  and  trustful,  while  his  brother's  had 
always  a  dauntless  look,  as  if  challenging  the 
world.  His  face  was  of  the  same  general 
type,  but  the  features  were  not  so  strongly 
marked,  although  he  had  the  same  firm  mouth 
and  strong  chin.  His  countenance  gave  the 
impression  of  a  character  phlegmatic  but 
forceful. 

That  evening  Lucy  told  Miss  Dent  that  she 
liked  Don  Homer  very  much,  adding,  "  And 
he  's  been  more  polite  and  pleasant  to  us  this 
afternoon  than  Mr.  Conrad  himself."  Mrs. 
Ned  Castleton  had  applied  the  Spanish  title 
to  the  younger  Conrad  to  distinguish  him 


294        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

from  his  brother,  and  the  rest  had  followed 
her  example.  Louise  was  secretly  pleased  at 
this  dissatisfaction  with  Curtis,  for  her  aver- 
sion to  him  was  so  great  that  she  disliked 
even  to  see  them  together.  But  she  reminded 
the  girl  that  with  so  many  people  there  he 
could  not  pay  much  attention  to  special  ones. 
Lucy  tossed  her  head  and  replied,  "  He  had 
plenty  of  time  for  Mrs.  Ned  Castleton." 

Evening  came,  and  with  it  a  huge  white 
moon  that  poured  upon  earth  and  air  and  sky 
a  flood  of  silvery  white  radiance  in  which  the 
illuminations  at  the  ranch  shone  with  a  mel- 
low, golden  glow.  Mrs.  Ned  Castleton  sat 
on  the  edge  of  the  porch,  her  guitar  in  her 
lap,  looking  with  satisfaction  at  the  rows  of 
paper  bags,  each  containing  a  lighted  candle 
in  its  bed  of  sand,  set  thickly  upon  the  window- 
sills,  the  adobe  walls,  and  the  tables  in  the 
grove.  They  were  not  only  effective,  but  they 
had  enabled  her  to  keep  Curtis  Conrad  out 
of  the  hands  of  her  sister-in-law  the  entire 
afternoon.  Mrs.  Turner  had  only  just  gone 
across  to  the  grove,  in  the  belief,  subtly  en- 
gendered by  Francisquita,  that  the  superin- 
tendent was  to  be  found  there,  where  most 
of  the  company  had  gathered  and  the  danc- 
ing was  about  to  begin.  She  knew,  however, 


PLOTS  AND  COUNTERPLOTS    295 

that  he  was  overseeing  the  stowing  of  some 
cases  of  beer  in  the  ice  house  in  the  back-yard. 
And  she  had  not  forgotten  that  when  he  was 
at  their  house  in  San  Francisco  he  had  been 
much  pleased  by  her  rendering  of  Spanish 
airs  on  the  guitar.  "  He  does  n't  need  to 
appear  in  the  grove,"  she  thought,  "  until 
Lena  has  had  time  to  engage  several  dances." 
She  began  to  play  "  La  Golondrina,"  and  as 
the  sweetly  plaintive  notes  rose  higher,  Lucy, 
looking  houseward,  saw  a  tall  figure  vault 
the  wall  around  the  grass  plot  and  disappear 
in  the  shadows  of  the  porch,  whence  came  the 
strains  of  Mrs.  Ned's  guitar.  A  little  later 
she  saw  them  come  across  the  road  together, 
and  at  once  became  deeply  interested  in  the 
talk  of  Don  Homer,  her  partner,  as  they  made 
their  way  to  the  dancing  floor.  Lucy  danced 
twice  with  him,  once  with  Martinez,  and  once 
with  Emerson  Mead  before  she  made  it  pos- 
sible for  Curtis  to  speak  with  her.  She  knew 
he  had  been  hovering  near  more  than  once, 
but  she  would  not  see  him,  and  appeared  al- 
ways to  be  gayly  interested  with  her  partner. 
She  gave  him  only  one  dance  during  the 
evening.  But,  noting  his  movements,  she  had 
seen  with  much  bitterness  of  heart  that  he 
danced  frequently  with  Mrs.  Ned  Castleton, 


296        THE   DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

She  began  to  wonder,  with  chill  doubt  in  her 
breast,  if  she  had  deceived  herself  in  thinking 
he  cared  for  her.  She  had  expected  to  see 
so  much  of  him ;  and  yet,  except  for  the  first 
half-hour  after  their  arrival,  he  seemed  to 
have  ignored  her.  She  began  to  realize  that 
she  had  depended  much  on  her  belief  in  his 
love  when  she  resolved  to  tell  him  the  secret 
of  her  father's  identity.  She  still  had  con- 
fidence that  her  words  would  turn  him  from 
his  purpose  —  but  it  was  going  to  be  a  hard 
thing  to  do! 

"  Mrs.  Ned  is  just  amusing  herself,"  she 
thought  angrily.  "  She  ought  to  be  ashamed 

—  a  married  woman  flirting  like  that !    Well 

—  he  's  not  the  only  one !  "    And  before  the 
evening  was  over  Homer  Conrad  had  neither 
eyes  nor  ears  for  any  one  but  Lucy  Ban- 
croft. 

The  house  was  given  over  to  the  ladies  for 
the  night.  The  men  had  a  blanket  apiece,  and 
all  the  wide  outdoors  in  which  to  couch  them- 
selves. Some  climbed  to  the  flat  adobe  roof 
of  the  house,  or  to  the  brush  thatch  of  the 
stables,  while  others  declared  the  ground  in 
the  grove  good  enough  for  them.  It  was  de- 
cided by  unanimous  outcry  that  the  dancing 
platform  should  be  turned  over  to  Dellmey 


PLOTS  AND  COUNTERPLOTS    297 

Baxter  and  Johnny  Martinez,  the  opposing 
candidates  for  Congress. 

First  they  all  went  trooping,  each  with  his 
blanket  stringing  over  his  shoulder,  to  the 
kitchen  door,  where  Conrad  and  the  two 
Castletons  dispensed  nightcaps  of  varied  con- 
coction. The  women  heard  them  talking, 
story-telling,  laughing,  and  now  and  then 
singing  a  snatch  from  some  rollicking  song. 
When  the  last  light  disappeared  from  within 
the  house,  a  group  of  men  began  singing 
"  Good-Night,  Ladies."  A  round  of  vigor- 
ous applause  from  the  darkened  windows  re- 
warded them,  and  they  went  on  with  "  Annie 
Laurie,"  "  Comin'  through  the  Rye,"  and 
"  How  Can  I  Bear  to  Leave  Thee."  Johnny 
Martinez  sang  a  Spanish  love  song  in  a  fal- 
setto voice,  and  received  much  applause  from 
within. 

The  men  sang  their  way  along  the  win- 
dows, up  one  side  of  the  long,  rambling  house, 
across  the  front,  and  down  the  other  side. 
They  climbed  to  the  roof,  and  serenaded  the 
men  who  were  trying  to  sleep  there,  varying 
the  line  or  two  of  song  accorded  to  each  with 
much  chaffing  and  guying.  When  the  last 
straggling  half-dozen  of  singers  finally  went 
off  to  seek  their  own  resting-places  in  the 


298        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

grove,  they  marched  in  single  file  round  and 
round  the  dancing  floor,  where  Baxter  and 
Martinez  had  already  stretched  themselves, 
and  sang  in  a  solemn  croak :  "  John  Brown 
had  one  little,  two  little  Indian  boys ;  one  went 
to  Congress,  the  other  stayed  at  home." 

When  peace  settled  at  last  over  the  Socorro 
Springs  ranch  house  it  was  near  the  dawn 
of  another  day. 


CHAPTER   XIX 

THE   WORD    UNSPOKEN 

THE  sun  was  high  in  the  brilliant  blue 
heavens  and  blazing  hot  upon  the 
gray-green  plain  when  the  com- 
pany came  together  in  the  grove  the  next 
morning  to  listen  to  speeches.  One  or  an- 
other well-known  resident  of  the  Territory 
was  called  forth,  with  applause  and  cheers, 
to  mount  an  improvised  rostrum,  where  he 
complimented  the  ladies,  chaffed  the  men,  told 
funny  stories,  submitted  to  guying  from  the 
audience  and  repaid  it  in  kind,  until  he  was 
able  to  turn  a  joke  upon  some  one  else  so 
deftly  that  he  could  retreat  under  cover  of 
the  hand-clapping  and  laughter  and  the  calls 
for  the  other  man  to  step  up  and  defend 
himself. 

At  dinner  they  spent  a  jovial  hour.  Half 
a  dozen  cowboys  carried  the  big  platters  of 
roasted  meat  to  the  tables,  where  they  were 
flanked  by  smoking  dishes  of  frijoles  and  chile 
con  came,  platters  of  bread,  and  piles  of 


300        THE   DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

roasted  potatoes  and  hard-boiled  eggs.  Pails 
of  lemonade  and  bottles  of  beer,  just  brought 
from  the  ice  house,  were  scattered  down  the 
tables,  and  steaming  pots  of  coffee  and  tea 
passed  from  hand  to  hand.  Everybody  was 
in  the  highest  spirits;  every  jest  or  bit  of 
fun  was  caught,  bandied  back  and  forth,  and 
passed  on  with  new  trimmings.  As  they 
gathered  around  the  tables,  Conrad  asked 
Lucy  Bancroft  to  save  a  seat  for  him  beside 
her.  She  smiled  at  him  without  replying; 
but  when  Homer  presently  came  and  asked 
for  the  vacant  place  she  gave  him  a  gracious 
welcome. 

Conrad,  much  occupied  with  his  duties  as 
host,  soon  saw  that  his  brother  was  at  her 
side,  paying  her  devoted  attention,  and  that 
apparently  she  was  quite  happy.  "  It 's  all 
right,"  he  thought.  "  He  '11  have  time  to  look 
out  for  her  better  than  I  could,  anyway;  she 
seems  to  be  having  a  good  time,  and  that 's 
the  main  thing."  Yet  he  was  conscious  of 
keen  disappointment;  he  had  seen  so  little  of 
her  —  much  less,  he  was  suddenly  aware,  than 
he  wished.  But  he  had  been  very  busy.  Not- 
withstanding the  planning  beforehand,  some- 
thing new  had  been  constantly  cropping  up 
and  demanding  his  attention.  But  Homer 


THE  WORD  UNSPOKEN         301 

had  been  taking  good  care  of  her,  and  she 
seemed  to  be  enjoying  everything.  That  even- 
ing, after  the  fireworks,  he  could  surely  let 
things  go  for  a  little  while,  and  ask  her  to 
walk  with  him  in  the  moonlight  to  the  top 
of  the  hill. 

At  that  moment  he  was  passing  Mrs.  Tur- 
ner Castleton.  With  an  inviting  smile  she 
made  room  for  him  beside  her.  He  sat  down, 
poured  her  a  glass  of  lemonade,  and  then, 
noticing  that  Emerson  Mead  and  his  wife 
were  not  comfortably  seated,  went  off  to  look 
after  them.  Mrs.  Ned,  who  had  seen  her 
sister-in-law's  manoeuvre,  asked  him  to  go 
into  the  house  with  her  to  see  how  the  lemons 
were  holding  out.  When  they  came  out  she 
protested  that  she  was  starving,  that  he  must 
be  too,  and  could  n't  they  sit  right  down  and 
have  something  to  eat?  The  seats  she  chose 
were  at  some  distance  from  Mrs.  Turner, 
though  directly  in  range  of  her  eye.  They 
chanced  also  to  be  in  plain  sight  from  where 
Lucy  was  sitting.  She,  seeing  them  dining 
together  on  such  friendly,  jolly  terms,  was 
more  charming  than  ever  to  Homer  Conrad. 
Her  pique  made  the  task  she  had  set  herself 
no  easier;  but  she  held  to  her  determination, 
telling  herself  that,  even  if  Curtis  did  not 


302        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

show  her  some  attention  that  afternoon,  she 
would  try  to  see  him  in  the  evening.  For 
they  were  to  go  home  in  the  morning. 

After  dinner  the  games  began.  Cowboys 
of  the  ranch  and  others  from  small  neighbor- 
ing ranches  gave  exhibitions  of  quick  roping 
and  throwing  and  of  broncho  busting.  Curtis 
Conrad  and  Emerson  Mead  had  a  riding  and 
shooting  match.  Jose  Gonzalez,  dressed  in 
Mexican  holiday  attire  of  straw  sombrero, 
braided  jacket,  and  close-fitting  trousers, 
showed  his  skill  as  an  expert  lasso  thrower. 
He  made  a  picturesque  figure  as  he  stood  in 
the  roadway,  striking  graceful  attitudes  and 
making  his  rope  leap,  run,  circle,  and  swirl 
about  him  as  if  it  were  alive.  The  visitors 
crowded  to  the  edge  of  the  grove,  watching 
and  admiring. 

"  He 's  a  sure  peach  at  the  fancy  racket," 
said  Dan  Tillinghurst,  "  but  I  reckon  Emer- 
son Mead  can  flirt  gravel  faster  than  he  can 
when  it  comes  to  the  real  practical  business. 
Say,  Emerson,"  he  called,  "  can't  you  give  us 
an  imitation  of  the  way  you  slipped  out  of 
Antone  Colorow's  rope  and  broke  his  wrists 
before  he  had  time  to  draw  his  noose?  I 
reckon  that  was  a  show  sure  worth  seeing." 

Those  who  knew  the   story   added  their 


THE  WORD  UNSPOKEN         303 

voices,  "  Yes,  Mead ;  show  us  how  you  did 
it ! "  Others  who  had  never  heard  of  the  in- 
cident wanted  to  know  about  it;  and  soon 
everybody  was  talking  about  how  a  cowboy 
once  tried  to  rope  Emerson  Mead.  Mrs. 
Turner  Castleton  was  standing  beside  Curtis. 

"  Really,  Mr.  Conrad,"  she  said,  "  is  it  true 
that  they  ever  rope  men?  And  why  do  the 
men  allow  it?  " 

"  Sometimes,  Mrs.  Castleton,  when  the  men 
who  are  roped  can't  help  it."  With  a  sudden 
smile  he  threw  back  his  head  and  his  eyes 
flashed.  "  We  '11  show  you  the  game,"  he 
went  on ;  "  Jose  shall  try  to  rope  me,  and  I  '11 
see  if  I  can  keep  out  of  his  way.  Come,  Jose, 
get  your  horse,  and  bring  mine,  and  then  do 
your  best." 

The  Mexican  stooped  to  coil  his  rope.  As 
he  rose  his  glance  darted  across  the  faces  of 
the  crowd  under  the  trees  until  it  met  the 
eyes  of  Alexander  Bancroft,  standing  beside 
Dellmey  Baxter,  at  the  end  of  the  long  group. 
Baxter  saw  the  two  pairs  of  eyes  meet  and 
hold  each  other  for  an  instant,  and  his  curi- 
osity was  aroused.  But  he  seemed  to  notice 
nothing,  and  saying,  "  Come,  Aleck,  let 's  go 
and  see  what  they  're  up  to  now,"  he  led  the 
way  to  the  upper  end  of  the  grove. 


3o4        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

The  two  horsemen  cantered  out  into  the 
open  and  began  their  manoeuvres.  The  people 
crowded  along  at  the  edge  of  the  shade,  and 
some  of  the  men  stepped  out  into  the  sunlight 
to  get  a  better  view.  Emerson  Mead  was 
much  interested  and  walked  out  farther  than 
the  rest.  The  snakey  rings  and  lengths  of  the 
Mexican's  rope  were  whistling  through  the 
air,  and  the  two  men  were  wheeling,  stop- 
ping, rushing  forward,  jumping  sidewise, 
in  graceful  evolutions.  The  noose  circled 
through  the  space  between  them,  poised  over 
Conrad's  head,  and  darted  downward  like 
some  voracious  bird  of  prey.  An  exclamation 
ran  through  the  intent  crowd,  "  He 's  got 
him !  He 's  got  him  this  time !  "  But  the 
superintendent  jerked  his  horse  to  its  hind 
legs,  swung  it  to  one  side,  galloped  a  little 
way,  and  came  back  laughing.  "  Good !  that 
was  first  rate ! "  Emerson  Mead  called  out. 

Jose  wound  his  rope  for  another  trial,  and 
cantered  leisurely  back  and  forth,  making 
sudden  feints  of  throwing  and  watching  his 
employer's  movements  of  evasion.  Suddenly 
he  wheeled,  charged,  and  threw  the  loop  from 
a  distance  of  only  a  few  paces.  He  had  cal- 
culated on  the  other's  spurring  forward  to 
escape;  instead  Conrad  brought  his  horse  to 


THE  WORD  UNSPOKEN         305 

a  standstill,  and  the  noose  fell  over  its  ears. 
A  cheer  went  up  from  the  grove,  and  Curtis 
turned  to  wave  his  broad-brimmed  hat.  In 
the  one  swift  glance  he  was  aware  of  Lucy, 
watching  so  eagerly  that  she  had  stepped  for- 
ward into  the  sunshine,  and  of  his  brother, 
raising  a  sunshade  over  her  head. 

Gonzalez  also  waved  his  sombrero  to  the 
company,  and  coiled  his  rope  anew.  It  darted 
out  like  a  serpent's  tongue,  and  this  time  it 
caught  Conrad  unawares ;  he  had  thought  his 
antagonist  would  not  throw  so  soon  and  for 
the  instant  was  off  his  guard.  The  noose  fell 
over  his  head  just  as  his  horse  was  at  mid- 
bound.  He  heard  it  whistle  as  it  dropped 
past  his  ears,  and  as  quick  as  a  flash  jerked 
his  pony  backward  to  a  sudden  stop.  Ap- 
parently Jose  had  expected  the  horse  to  leap 
forward,  for,  as  he  felt  the  slacking  of  the 
rope,  there  was  a  dextrous  turn  of  his  wrist, 
and  a  dig  of  his  spur  that  sent  his  pony  danc- 
ing to  one  side.  The  noose  tightened  around 
Curtis's  neck.  Instinctively  he  clutched  it, 
and  his  fingers,  caught  against  his  windpipe, 
ground  into  his  own  throat. 

'  The  greaser  did  that  on  purpose ! "  ex- 
claimed Emerson  Mead  in  a  hard,  swift  under- 
tone, as  his  hand  gripped  the  revolver  at  his 


306        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

waistband.  But  Gonzalez  was  already  be- 
side Conrad,  and  lifting  the  noose  from  his 
neck.  The  American  choked  and  gasped  for 
breath  once  or  twice. 

"  You  —  you  caught  me  square  that  time, 
Jose,"  he  said. 

"  We  are  even  now,  sefior,"  replied  the 
Mexican ;  "  you  gave  me  my  life  once,  and 
now  I  give  you  yours.  It  would  have  been 
only  a  second  more;  and  it  was  plainly  an 
accident ;  nobody  would  have  known.  I  have 
paid  my  debt." 

The  people  were  cheering.  Both  men  faced 
toward  the  grove  and  waved  their  hats. 
'  You  damned  impudent  coyote !  "  said  Cur- 
tis through  his  teeth.  Then  he  grinned,  and 
added,  "  But  I  like  your  nerve,  though." 

At  the  grove  side  the  manager  threw  his 
bridle  to  the  Mexican,  but  turned  impulsively 
and  called,  "  Here,  Jose,  wait  a  minute.  I 
want  you  to  show  these  people  how  you  can 
throw  the  knife."  A  stride  or  two  took  him 
to  Jose's  side.  "  And  I  '11  be  your  target, 
damn  you !  "  he  added  in  an  undertone.  He 
walked  back  where  Lucy,  Miss  Dent,  and  his 
brother  were  standing,  humming  a  stave  or 
two  from  a  comic  opera  under  his  breath. 
Homer  noticed  that  his  face  was  rather  pale 


THE  WORD  UNSPOKEN         307 

and  that  his  eyes  were  blazing,  but  thought 
it  due  to  his  annoyance  at  having  been 
roped. 

Gonzalez  came  back  from  the  corral,  care- 
fully testing  with  his  finger  the  edge  and 
point  of  his  knife.  Conrad,  his  head  held 
high,  a  smile  on  his  face  and  exhilaration 
in  his  manner,  was  telling  the  company  to 
stand  a  little  to  one  side,  to  make  sure  they 
were  out  of  the  way  of  the  knife.  As  Gon- 
zalez came  up,  he  stepped  in  front  of  the 
nearest  tree,  with  the  Mexican  facing  him 
ten  or  twelve  paces  distant.  Judge  Banks 
called  to  him  to  watch  out  for  the  knife  him- 
self, and  he  turned  a  smiling  face  for  an  in- 
stant as  he  answered  gayly,  "  Oh,  I  'm  all 
right ! "  In  the  same  tone  he  called,  "  Start 
her  up,  Jose!  And  remember,  you're  to  do 
your  level  best." 

Jose's  teeth  shone  in  a  gleaming  smile  as 
he  replied  significantly,  "  I  shall,  Don  Curtis !  " 
He  took  an  alert,  graceful  posture,  one  foot 
set  back  and  head  thrust  slightly  forward. 
The  muscles  of  his  arm  were  still  relaxed 
as  his  knife  slid  along  his  wrist  and  nestled 
into  place.  Conrad  drew  himself  up  tensely 
and  his  eyes  narrowed  as  he  fixed  them  upon 
the  Mexican's.  For  an  instant  they  eyed  each 


3o8        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

other;  then,  like  a  flash,  Jose's  arm  swung 
back. 

Not  until  that  moment  did  any  member  of 
the  company  understand  that  Curtis  was  de- 
liberately making  himself  a  target ;  even  then 
many  did  not  realize  the  significance  of  the 
game  with  death  he  had  set  himself  to  play. 
Ned  Castleton's  face  Went  white,  and  his  voice 
died  in  his  throat  as  he  tried  to  call  to  Jose 
to  stop.  Alexander  Bancroft  stared  with  de- 
vouring eyes,  his  breath  coming  hard.  The 
overmastering  desire  for  freedom  and  safety 
was  upon  him,  and  he  could  not  take  his  gaze 
from  the  Mexican's  poised  figure.  Louise 
Dent,  beside  him,  drew  one  gasping  breath 
and  covered  her  face  with  her  hands.  After- 
ward she  knew  that  she  had  not  done  this 
so  much  to  shut  from  her  eyes  the  next  mo- 
ment's expected  sight  as  to  hide  from  her 
soul's  vision  the  glimpse  she  had  caught  of 
the  desire  springing  to  life  in  her  own  heart. 

Homer  Conrad,  sitting  beside  Lucy,  his  at- 
tention fixed  upon  some  small  damage  to  her 
fan  which  he  was  trying  to  repair,  did  not 
see  what  was  going  on  until  a  sudden  stiffen- 
ing of  her  attitude  and  a  sharp,  indrawn 
breath  made  him  look  up.  She  was  leaning 
forward,  with  face  white  and  eyes  staring  and 


"  LIKE  A  FLASH  JOSH'S  ARM  SWUNG  BACK,  .  .  .  AND  CURTIS  SPRANG  LIGHTLY 
ASIDE  AS  THE  KNIFE  STRUCK  DEEP  INTO  THE  TREE" 


THE  WORD  UNSPOKEN         309 

hands  clenched  against  her  breast.  He  fol- 
lowed her  gaze  and  saw  the  knife  flash  from 
Jose's  hand.  His  heart  went  sick  and  he  sat 
powerless  to  move  as  his  eyes  marked  the 
long  blade,  dark  against  the  sunshine,  but 
with  little  sparkles  on  its  edge,  through  what 
seemed  an  interminable  flight. 

Then  Curtis  sprang  lightly  aside  as  the 
knife  struck  deep  into  the  tree  at  the  level  of 
his  throat,  pulled  the  weapon  out,  waved  it  at 
Gonzalez,  and  called  out  triumphantly,  "  Try 
again,  Jose ;  and  be  quicker  next  time ! " 

Ned  Castleton  sprang  forward,  with  Turner 
close  behind,  and  grasped  his  arm.  "  Are  you 
crazy,  Curt?  "  he  exclaimed.  "  This  is  fool's 
play !  We  don't  want  any  more  of  it !  " 

'  There 's  no  danger,"  Conrad  replied 
jauntily.  "  I  knew  I  could  jump  quicker  than 
he  could  throw,  and  I  wanted  to  prove  it  to 
him.  There  's  not  a  bit  of  danger ;  I  can 
do  it  every  time.  But  if  you  don't  like  it  we  '11 
have  something  else.  Hello,  kid ! "  he  said 
as  Homer  rushed  up  and  seized  his  arm ;  the 
young  man's  face  was  pale  and  tears  stood 
in  his  eyes.  '  You  Ve  no  reason  to  be  fright- 
ened," Curtis  went  on  easily.  "  All  I  had  to 
do  was  to  watch  his  eyes.  If  there  had  been 
any  real  danger  I  would  n't  have  tried  it." 


3io        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

Lucy  Bancroft  sat  quite  still  for  a  few  mo- 
ments, her  eyes  on  the  ground,  but  presently 
she  started  toward  the  house,  contriving  to 
pass  Conrad  when  there  was  no  one  beside 
him.  She  touched  his  arm  and  he  wheeled 
toward  her  as  if  he  had  felt  an  electric  shock. 
"  It  was  a  most  foolish  thing  to  do,"  she  said 
in  a  low  voice,  "  but  —  you  are  the  bravest 
man  I  ever  saw/'  and  hastened  on  without 
giving  him  time  to  reply. 

At  night  there  were  fireworks  and  dancing. 
After  the  knife-throwing  episode  Curtis  tried 
again  and  again  to  have  speech  with  Lucy, 
but  whenever  he  came  near  she  seemed  not 
to  see  him,  and  was  so  interested  in  conver- 
sation with  her  admirer  of  the  moment  that 
he  could  find  no  opportunity.  Homer  attended 
her  like  her  own  shadow.  The  hours  hur- 
ried past,  and  still,  piqued  and  wilful,  she 
postponed  making  the  opportunity  for  her 
revelation. 

Conrad  was  master  of  the  fireworks ;  while 
he  was  busy  setting  off  sky-rockets  and  mines 
Lucy  and  Homer  called  to  him  that  they  were 
going  to  the  top  of  the  hill  beyond  the  al- 
falfa field  to  see  how  the  display  looked  from 
there.  It  was  the  very  walk  Curtis  had  in- 
tended to  ask  her  to  take  with  him,  and  he 


THE  WORD  UNSPOKEN         311 

glanced  after  them,  keenly  disappointed.  But 
he  said  to  himself  that  as  soon  as  he  could 
get  the  fireworks  out  of  the  way  there  would 
be  nothing  to  demand  his  attention  for  the 
rest  of  the  evening,  and  then  he  could  surely 
get  a  little  time  with  her. 

Half  an  hour  later  he  saw  her,  through  a 
glare  of  red  fire,  setting  off  fire-crackers  with 
his  brother  and  Pendleton.  Dan  Tillinghurst 
had  just  joined  them,  and  she  turned  to  him 
with  a  laughing  threat,  a  lighted  cracker  in 
her  hand.  He  called  to  Pendleton,  whose 
pockets  were  bulging  with  packs  of  the 
crackers,  to  see  fair  play  and  give  him 
weapons  of  defence.  The  cool  night  wind 
was  tossing  her  brown  curls,  her  bright  face 
was  full  of  animation,  and  the  red  light  en« 
veloped  her  in  a  rosy  sheen.  He  looked  at 
her,  his  face  aglow  with  admiration,  then 
turned  back  to  the  sky-rockets.  As  he  stooped 
over  the  box  he  heard  a  scream  in  a  girlish 
voice,  followed  by  the  stern  command,  "  Sit 
down !  Sit  down ! "  in  Dan  Tillinghurst's 
heavy  tones.  Springing  up,  he  saw  a  white 
heap  sinking  to  the  ground  amid  leaping 
tongues  of  flame  and  the  three  men  stripping 
off  their  coats  and  beating  the  fire.  He 
rushed  forward,  taking  off  his  coat  as  he  ran, 


3i2        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

and  in  a  moment  they  had  whipped  the  flames 
down  to  a  ring  of  charred  muslin  and  flicker- 
ing sparks.  A  dozen  others  had  hurried  to 
the  spot,  but  it  was  Curtis's  outstretched  hand 
that  Lucy  took  as  he  bent  anxiously  over 
her,  his  arm  upon  which  she  leaned  as  she 
staggered  to  her  feet.  She  went  at  once  into 
the  house  with  Miss  Dent,  and  did  not  re- 
appear that  evening.  When  Louise  returned 
she  explained  that  Lucy  had  gone  to  bed,  but 
that,  except  for  the  nervous  shock,  she  had 
suffered  no  harm. 

Curtis  Conrad  went  on  sending  off  sky- 
rockets and  Roman  candles  in  the  amaze  of 
a  new  knowledge.  That  moment  of  Lucy's 
peril,  brief  as  it  was,  had  revealed  to  him  the 
love  that,  unconsciously  to  himself,  had  been 
bourgeoning  in  his  heart  throughout  the 
Spring.  So  absorbed  had  he  been  in  his  own 
grim  purpose  that  he  had  not  realized  the 
meaning  of  his  liking  for  Lucy  and  his  en- 
joyment of  her  society.  But  in  the  light  of 
the  flames  by  which  he  had  seen  her  circled 
her  dearness  had  flashed  upon  him  its  real 
significance.  When  she  leaned  upon  him  as 
she  arose,  it  had  demanded  all  his  self-control 
to  keep  from  taking  her  in  his  arms.  His 
nerves  were  thrilling  yet  with  the  slight 


THE  WORD  UNSPOKEN         313 

pressure  of  her  body  upon  his  arm  as  she  re- 
gained her  footing.  So  sudden  and  forceful 
was  the  rush  of  his  emotion  that  it  swept 
him  from  his  accustomed  moorings,  and  filled 
heart  and  mind  to  the  exclusion  of  every 
other  idea.  Lucy  —  Lucy  —  Lucy  —  he  said 
her  name  over  and  over  in  his  innermost 
thought,  even  while  he  danced  with  Mrs. 
Turner,  strolled  with  Miss  Whittaker  to  the 
hilltop,  —  as  he  had  wished  to  do  with  Lucy, 
-  talked  with  Martinez,  or  listened  to  Judge 
Harlan's  stories.  The  thought  of  her  was 
constantly  with  him,  enveloped  in  a  wonder- 
ful tenderness;  his  memory  was  incessantly 
recalling  images  of  her  as  she  looked  leaning 
against  this  tree,  seated  beside  that  table,  walk- 
ing across  the  road.  He  hovered  around  Miss 
Dent  until  she,  to  escape  from  his  attention 
and  his  solicitude  about  Lucy,  which  intensi- 
fied the  aversion  and  resentment  she  already 
felt,  retired  to  the  house  early  in  the  evening. 
But,  when  all  the  merrymakers  had  gone 
to  bed  and  quiet  had  settled  upon  the  ranch, 
Conrad  began  to  feel  a  violent  wrenching  of 
his  heart.  When  he  stretched  himself  upon 
the  roof  of  the  house  and  gazed  into  the  sil- 
very violet  sky  his  lifelong  purpose  reasserted 
itself.  For  so  many  years  it  had  been  his 


3i4        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

habit,  as  he  composed  himself  for  sleep,  to 
think  over  his  plans  for  the  pursuit  of  Dela- 
field  and  feed  his  heart  with  the  desire  for 
revenge  that  he  quickly  felt  its  tyranny.  For 
a  moment  all  emotion  ceased  and  his  mind 
stood  back,  aghast  at  itself,  bewildered.  Then 
the  old  idea  took  possession  again,  and  he 
said  to  himself,  almost  with  anger,  "  What 
business  have  I  to  fall  in  love?"  To  think 
of  Lucy  in  connection  with  his  own  dark  and 
bloody  aims  was  repellent,  and  his  thoughts 
turned  away  in  quick  reaction.  Then  came 
the  remembrance  of  Homer's  devotion  to  her 
and  of  how  welcome,  apparently,  had  been 
his  attentions.  So,  for  that  time  at  least,  Lucy 
and  love  were  turned  out  of  his  heart  and  his 
last  waking  thoughts  were  of  his  plan  to  go 
to  Albuquerque  and  Santa  Fe  within  a  few 
days,  there  to  run  down  the  clews  that  prom- 
ised most. 

Because  of  all  that  had  gone  on  in  his  mind 
and  heart  as  he  lay  on  the  roof  that  night 
Conrad's  manner  toward  Lucy  the  next  morn- 
ing was  graver  and  more  restrained  than  usual. 
He  was  keenly  alive  to  the  magic  of  her  pres- 
ence, but  for  that  he  rebuked  himself  and 
went  near  her  no  oftener  than  he  could  help. 
Lucy  tried  in  vain  to  find  an  opportunity  for 


THE  WORD  UNSPOKEN         315 

private  speech  with  him.  And  so  the  time 
came  for  their  departure  and  the  fateful  words 
had  not  been  said.  "  Well,"  she  consoled  her- 
self, "  he  will  come  to  see  us  in  Golden  before 
long,  and  I  will  tell  him  then." 

As  they  drove  away  the  house  was  filled 
with  the  bustle  of  leave-taking.  The  guests 
who  had  come  by  rail  were  being  driven  to 
the  station  at  White  Rock  to  catch  the  fore- 
noon train.  Others  were  leaving  by  horse  or 
carriage  for  Golden  or  Randall.  As  the  dust 
from  the  last  of  the  departing  vehicles  rose 
in  thin  gray  stains  against  the  vivid  blue  of 
the  sky  Ned  Castleton  called  to  his  wife  from 
the  shade  of  the  tree  beside  the  gate.  She 
had  been  saying  good-bye  to  the  Bancrofts 
and  had  stopped  in  the  sun  beside  the  adobe 
wall  to  play  with  a  horned  toad  that  Gon- 
zalez had  caught  for  her. 

"  Fanny,"  he  said,  "  I  know  I  have  n't  got 
horns,  but  if  you  '11  come  here  in  the  shade 
I  '11  prove  that  I  can  be  just  as  interesting 
as  that  toad." 

She  came,  holding  the  weird  little  creature 
on  her  palm.  "  Look  at  him,  Ned !  Is  n't  he 
cunning?  He 's  the  dearest  thing  I  ever  saw 
—  except  you." 

"  Oh,  thanks ;   it 's  kind  of  you  not  to  put 


316        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

me  in  the  same  class.  As  a  reward  I  '11  tell 
you  some  news.  Your  little  scheme  for  balk- 
ing Lena's  designs  on  Conrad  has  succeeded 
perfectly.  Turner  has  just  told"  me  that  she 
has  suddenly  decided  she  wants  to  go  to  Santa 
Barbara  at  once,  and  they  're  leaving  this 
afternoon.  I  told  him  to  go  ahead,  and  I  'd 
stay  here  a  few  days  longer  and  finish  things 
up  with  Curt." 

"That's  just  splendid,  Ned!  We'll  have 
some  lovely  rides,  won't  we?  And  it  will  be 
such  a  rest  not  to  have  to  keep  an  eye  on 
Lena.  I  felt  sure  last  night  that  she  was 
going  to  give  up  the  game  and  pretend  she 
hadn't  been  playing,  because  she  suddenly 
lost  all  interest  in  the  cattle  business." 

"  Of  course  you  know,  Francisquita,  that 
you  have  been  behaving  shamelessly ;  but  I  '11 
forgive  you,  because  you  've  saved  our  model 
superintendent  for  us." 

"  Ned,  you  know  very  well  that  I  did  n't 
do  a  thing  but  just  help  Mr.  Conrad  make 
it  pleasant  for  all  the  people  —  except,  per- 
haps, Lena.  I  'm  afraid  she  'd  have  had  a 
better  time  if  I  had  n't  been  here.  But  I  've 
been  thinking  this  morning,  Ned,  that  maybe 
it  wasn't  necessary  for  me  to  help  quite  as 
hard  as  I  did.  What  do  you  think  about  it?  " 


THE  WORD  UNSPOKEN         317 

"  I  think  I  don't  know  what  you  're  talking 
about.  As  the  cowboys  say,  you  've  flung 
gravel  along  the  road  a  little  too  fast  for  my 
gait." 

"  Ned,  you  're  the  blindest  thing !  What 
could  I  mean  except  that  Mr.  Conrad  did  n't 
need  to  be  distracted  from  Lena,  especially  as 
her  methods  are  so  broad  ?  " 

"  Well,  go  on,  dear.  We  '11  get  there  after 
a  while." 

"  Go  on !  Why,  Ned,  that 's  all !  Is  n't  that 
enough  ?  Why  should  a  man  want  more  than 
one  pretty  girl  to  protect  him  from  the  de- 
signs of  a  lady  who  —  well  —  who  wants  to 
shave  him?  You  never  needed  anybody  but 
me." 

'  True,  Fanny !  But  you  always  were  equal 
to  an  army  in  yourself,  and  now  you  are 
equal  to  two  —  which  is  only  another  way  of 
saying  that  you  grow  more  fascinating  every 
day.  And  now  I  think  you  might  be  gra- 
cious enough  to  tell  me  what  you  're  talking 
about." 

"Why,  Ned,  I'm  afraid  Miss  Bancroft 
did  n't  enjoy  it  any  more  than  Lena.  I  was  n't 
quite  sure  of  it  until  this  morning;  but  I 
really  think,  Ned,  that  Lena  would  have  been 
left  out  in  the  cold  just  the  same  if  I  hadn't 


3i8        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

—  hadn't  helped  Mr.  Conrad  entertain  the 
people  quite  so  much." 

Castleton  laughed.  "  Oh,  I  begin  to  see ! 
You  are  feeling  the  pangs  of  remorse  because 
you  've  been  putting  snags  in  the  course  of 
true  love.  But  you  needn't  worry,  dear. 
Curt  is  n't  the  sort  of  man,  if  he  cares  any- 
thing about  her,  to  let  a  little  thing  like  that 
make  any  difference." 

"  But  he  '11  be  too  busy  with  you  to  go  over 
to  Golden  and  see  her  again  for  a  long  time, 
won't  he?" 

"  Oh,  we  can  get  through  this  week,  I 
think." 

"  Good !  Then  we  can  leave  on  Saturday, 
and  on  Sunday  he  can  gallop  over  to  Golden, 
and  by  that  time  she  '11  want  awfully  to  see 
him  and  she  '11  be  very  sorry  she  flirted  so  out- 
rageously with  Don  Homer.  And  next  Fall 
we  '11  send  them  a  wedding  present,  and  they  '11 
come  to  see  us  on  their  wedding  journey,  — 
she 's  a  dear,  sweet  girl,  Ned,  and  I  like  her, 

—  and  I  '11  explain  to  her  why  I  —  why  I 
helped  Mr.  Conrad  make  things  pleasant  at 
the  barbecue,  and  we  '11  have  a  jolly  laugh 
over  it.    There  he  is  now,  Ned !    Do  go  right 
along  and  begin  your  work,  so  we  '11  be  sure 
to  leave  on  Saturday." 


THE  WORD  UNSPOKEN         319 

When  Conrad  bade  the  Castletons  good- 
bye at  the  railway  station  at  the  end  of  the 
week,  Francisquita  said  to  him: 

'  When  you  see  that  pretty  Miss  Bancroft 
again  — "  here  she  gave  him  a  significant 
glance  and  then  demurely  lowered  her  eyes 

"  please  tell  her  that  I  hope  to  see  her 
again,  and  that  if  she  ever  comes  to  San 
Francisco  she  must  let  me  know  —  you  can 
give  her  our  address.  We  'd  be  delighted, 
Ned  and  I,  to  help  her  have  a  good  time. 
She  's  a  dear,  lovely  girl  and  I  'd  really  like 
to  know  her  better." 

Curtis  drove  home,  declaring  to  himself 
that  Mrs.  Ned  was  one  of  the  most  charm- 
ing women  he  knew.  He  would  ride  over 
to  Golden  to-morrow  afternoon  and  deliver 
her  message.  He  lingered  fondly  over  the 
image  of  Lucy's  slender  figure  standing  at 
the  top  of  her  veranda  steps  and  smiling  upon 
him  a  gay  and  gracious  welcome,  and  a  strong 
desire  rose  in  his  heart  to  know  just  how 
glad  she  really  would  be  to  see  him.  But 
the  recollection  of  his  plans  for  the  ensuing 
week  came  crashing  through  his  pleasant 
thoughts  like  a  runaway  horse  through  a 
flower  garden.  For  a  moment  the  purpose 
that  held  his  life  in  thrall  seemed  strangely 


320        THE   DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

unworthy.  But  presently  he  jammed  his  hat 
down  on  his  head  and,  with  compressed  lips, 
said  savagely  to  himself: 

"  No ;  the  Delafield  affair  is  my  first  love, 
and  I  '11  stay  with  it.'5  As  he  thought  over 
his  plans  and  hopes  for  the  immediate  future 
his  heart  grew  hot  again  with  the  old  in- 
dignation over  all  that  ruin  and  struggle, 
and  the  old  purpose  regained  its  accustomed 
vigor. 

After  a  little,  nevertheless,  he  decided  that 
he  would  ride  over  to  the  Bancrofts'  the  next 
day  and  deliver  Mrs.  Castleton's  message.  It 
would  do  no  harm  for  him  to  see  Lucy  oc- 
casionally, in  the  friendly  way  in  which  they 
had  always  met. 


CHAPTER   XX 

NARROWING   THE   QUEST 

THAT  evening,  while  they  sat  and 
smoked  on  the  little  porch,  Curtis 
Conrad  told  Homer  of  his  lifelong 
quest.  It  was  the  younger  man's  first  knowl- 
edge of  the  motive  that  had  been  so  potent  in 
his  brother's  life.  He  listened  in  silence  while 
his  pipe  went  out,  and  sat  quite  still  after  the 
other  ceased.  "  Well,  Curt,"  he  said  at  last, 
with  a  little  tremor  in  his  voice,  "  this  yarn  of 
yours  knocks  me  silly.  I  can't  say  I  'm  pleased 
with  it,  at  least  at  first  view.  It  does  n't  seem 
sensible." 

Curtis  laughed  good-naturedly.  "  Very 
likely,  Homer ;  I  did  n't  expect  it  to  appeal 
forcibly  to  a  sensible,  practical  chap  like  you. 
I  haven't  told  you  before  because  there  was 
no  use  bothering  your  young  head  with  it 
when  the  round-up  seemed  so  far  away;  but 
I  'm  mighty  near  the  end  of  the  trail  now, 
and  you  've  come  to  a  man's  age  and  ways 
of  thinking;  so  I  thought  it  best  to  tell  you. 


21 


322        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

There  's  a  possibility,  of  course,  that  I  '11  get 
the  worst  of  it  when  the  mix-up  does  come; 
and  in  that  case  I  'd  like  you  to  know  what 
it  was  all  about.  But  I  'm  not  considering 
that  sort  of  chance  as  likely  to  happen." 

"  But  what  do  you  expect  to  gain  by  it, 
Curt,  and  why  do  you  want  to  kill  the 
man?" 

Curtis  slowly  lighted  a  fresh  cigar.  '''  Well, 
Homer,  if  you  don't  see  why,  it 's  no  use  for 
me  to  explain." 

"  I  know  there 's  a  big  difference  between 
us  temperamentally;  but  I  don't  believe  that 
would  keep  me  from  appreciating  your  motive 
if  it  had  any  basis  in  right  or  expediency. 
Good  God,  Curt,  look  at  the  thing  sensibly! 
Suppose  you  kill  the  man  when  you  find  him. 
What  earthly  good  will  that  do  you  ?  You  'd 
probably  hang  for  it,  or  go  to  the  penitentiary 
for  years.  And  it  seems  to  me  the  chance  is 
all  the  other  way.  Whoever  the  man  is,  he 
must  know  you  're  after  him ;  and  you  '11  find 
him  ready  and  loaded.  If  you  're  not  killed 
you  're  likely  to  be  badly  wounded  —  perhaps 
lose  an  eye  or  a  leg  —  and  what  can  you  gain 
by  it?  Bless  me  if  I  can  see  any  use  or  sense 
or  right  in  the  whole  business." 

Curtis  Conrad  rose  and  walked  slowly  and 


NARROWING  THE  QUEST       323 

with  bent  head  the  length  of  the  porch  and 
back,  his  hand  resting  for  an  instant  on  his 
brother's  shoulder  as  he  passed.  He  stood  re- 
garding abstractedly  the  lightning  that  was 
playing  among  some  low-lying  clouds  above 
the  Hatchet  Mountains,  far  to  the  southwest. 
"  One  night,  soon  after  father  and  mother 
died,"  he  began,  in  a  tone  so  low  that  Homer 
could  barely  catch  his  words,  "  I  lay  awake 
almost  all  night,  thinking.  You  were  a  little 
shaver  barely  out  of  kilts,  the  girls  were 
young  things  with  their  dresses  half  way  to 
their  knees,  and  I  was  only  fifteen.  I  had 
taken  you  into  bed  with  me  because  I  was 
afraid  you  'd  wake  up  in  the  night  and  feel 
lonesome  —  and,  perhaps,  because  I  did  n't 
want  to  feel  quite  so  lonesome  myself.  I 
made  plans  for  hours  about  how  we  could 
get  along  and  the  things  I  meant  to  do.  You 
tossed  in  your  sleep,  and  threw  one  of  your 
hands  against  mine.  My  fingers  closed  over 
it,  and  you  gripped  one  of  them  fast.  Some- 
how, that  grip  went  to  my  heart,  and  I  prom- 
ised myself  and  you  that  I  would  do  all  I 
could  to  make  up  to  you  the  loss  we  had  suf- 
fered. I  thought  of  what  father  had  planned 
for  me;  and  I  knew  that  I  should  have  to 
give  all  that  up.  As  I  thought  of  the  man 


324        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

who  had  robbed  us  of  everything  —  money, 
opportunity,  father  and  mother  —  I  trembled 
with  anger. 

"  I  had  never  used  an  oath  until  that  night. 
But  I  sat  on  the  side  of  my  bed,  when  I 
could  n't  lie  still  any  longer,  and  clenched  my 
fists  and  cursed  him,  mildly  at  first  and  under 
my  breath,  then  aloud  and  in  the  reddest  lan- 
guage I  could  think  of.  As  I  damned  his  soul 
to  the  hottest  corner  of  hell  it  seemed  to  me 
that  he  ought  to  be  made  to  suffer  in  this 
life,  too,  and  I  said  aloud,  '  I  would  like  to 
kill  you ! '  The  words  sounded  so  plain  that 
they  frightened  me.  But  I  said  them  over 
again,  and  the  next  moment  the  thought 
leaped  up,  'And  I  will,  too,  if  I  live ! '  That 
was  how  the  idea  was  born  in  my  mind.  It 
struck  root  and  grew,  and  I  Ve  held  to  it  ever 
since." 

Homer  nodded.  "  Yes ;  I  can  understand 
how  you  would  hold  to  a  thing  you  'd  made 
up  your  mind  to  do;  I'd  hold  on  just  the 
same  way.  We  Ve  both  got  the  bull-dog  grip ; 
it's  one  of  the  Conrad  characteristics.  But 
even  a  bull-dog  can  let  go  when  he  knows 
he  should  n't  hold  on  any  longer." 
^  Curtis  smiled  grimly.  "  Not  always ;  some- 
times you  have  to  pry  his  jaws  loose. 


NARROWING  THE  QUEST       325 

Nevertheless,  I  could  let  go  if  I  wanted  to. 
But  I  don't  want  to,  and  I  don't  propose 
to.  The  thing  has  become  part  of  my  life, 
of  me,  of  my  very  blood." 

"  Have  you  been  working  at  it  all  this  time, 
Curt?" 

"  Oh,  of  course  I  could  n't  do  much  while 
I  was  a  boy  except  to  think  and  brood  over  it. 
But  during  that  time  I  learned  all  I  could 
about  Delafield,  his  schemes,  and  his  per- 
sonality. I  read  every  newspaper  I  could 
lay  hold  of  that  had  anything  in  it  about 
him ;  I  Ve  got  them  all  yet.  But  I  did  n't 
do  much  in  the  way  of  actually  chasing 
him  down  until  after  the  girls  were  married 
ten  years  ago.  After  that  I  earned  and 
saved  more  money,  and  was  free  to  go 
about  as  I  wanted.  Since  then  I  Ve  spent 
all  the  time  and  money  I  could  spare  in 
hunting  him. 

"  I  had  a  schoolmate  named  Littleton  who 
became  a  detective  when  he  grew  up.  We 
were  good  friends,  and  when  he  happened  to 
find  out  that  I  was  nosing  around  in  my  own 
way  he  offered  to  help  me.  I  was  to  pay  him 
what  I  could,  and  he  would  put  in  time  on 
this  when  he  had  nothing  else  to  do.  Between 
us  we  tracked  Delafield  all  over  the  West  and 


326        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

into  Canada,  back  and  forth,  and  under  nearly 
a  dozen  different  names.  I  don't  think  he  got 
as  much  money  out  of  his  Boston  smash  as 
he  was  charged  with  taking,  but  he  got  a 
good  lot ;  and  he  's  since  made  and  lost  two  or 
three  good-sized  fortunes.  Most  of  the  time 
he  has  been  a  mining  expert,  and  has  owned 
and  dealt  in  mines ;  the  fact  that  he  's  stuck 
pretty  close  to  that  business  has  made  it  easier 
to  follow  him.  Once,  in  Arizona,  we  lost  the 
trail  completely.  It  was  as  if  the  earth  had 
opened  and  swallowed  him;  for  a  while  we 
thought  he  must  be  dead.  Later  we  discov- 
ered his  tracks  in  Utah,  under  a  new  name. 
Since  then  there  have  been  several  gaps  of 
that  sort ;  but  we  've  always  managed  to  light 
on  him  again  after  a  while. 

"  My  last  knowledge  of  him  is  that  he  is  liv- 
ing somewhere  in  this  Territory,  a  well-to-do 
and  respected  citizen,  prominent  in  politics, 
and  a  supporter  of  Dellmey  Baxter  for  Con- 
gress. The  rest  of  it  will  be  easy ;  there  '11 
be  a  quick  chase  and  an  early  show-down  be- 
fore there  's  time  for  another  deal.  I  Ve  got 
my  eye  on  two  men,  both  of  whom  fit  that 
description.  They  live  up  North,  and  I  'm 
going  up  to  Albuquerque  and  Santa  Fe  next 
week  to  look  up  their  records.  If  it 's  either 


NARROWING  THE  QUEST        327 

one  of  them,  Delafield  will  meet  his  deserts 
before  he  's  many  days  older." 

Silence  fell  upon  them.  Curtis  leaned 
against  a  pillar  of  the  porch  and  watched 
the  clouds  rising  higher  over  the  mountains. 
"  It  looks  as  if  the  rainy  season  was  about 
to  begin  at  last,"  he  said  in  a  matter-of-fact 
way.  Homer  rose  and  stood  with  a  hand 
on  his  shoulder.  They  looked  so  much  alike 
in  the  moonlight  that  at  a  little  distance  it 
would  have  been  difficult  to  say  which  was 
the  younger  and  which  the  elder  brother. 

"  I  don't  need  to  tell  you,  Curt,"  he  said 
in  a  tone  rich  with  earnest  feeling,  "  how 
grateful  I  am  for  all  you  've  done  for  me,  nor 
how  well  I  know  at  what  cost  to  yourself 
you  've  done  it.  You  've  been  father  and 
mother  and  brother  and  best  friend  to  me 
all  in  one.  If  I  ever  do  anything  worth  while 
the  credit  will  be  yours  quite  as  much  as 
mine.  You  know  I  'm  not  ungrateful  or  un- 
appreciative,  don't  you,  Curt?  I  can  under- 
stand how  this  thing  has  come  to  obsess  you, 
since  you  've  explained  how  it  took  root  in 
your  mind  before  your  ethical  ideas  were 
settled.  But  I  can't  sympathize  with  you  in 
this  search  after  vengeance,  and  I  can't  ap- 
prove of  what  you  are  planning  to  do.  It 


328        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

seems  to  me  you  ought  to  be  able  to  see 
things  straight  by  this  time  and  shake  off 
your  obsession.  If  you  want  to  find  the  man 
and  hand  him  over  to  the  proper  authorities 
—  that 's  all  right ;  I  'd  help  you  in  that  my- 
self ;  it 's  right  that  he  should  be  punished 
and  made  to  give  up  what  he  has  to  his 
creditors.  But  to  take  revenge  into  your  own 
hands,  Curt,  and  to  take  it  at  the  cost  of 
everything  desirable  for  yourself  —  why,  the 
thing  is  so  mad  that  it  bewilders  me  to  think 
it 's  you  that 's  doing  it.  I  wish  I  could  per- 
suade you  to  give  it  up." 

Curtis  shook  his  head  emphatically.  "  You 
need  n't  waste  your  breath,  Homer.  I  rather 
hoped  you'd  understand  better  how  I  feel 
about  it,  and  see  the  whole  affair  a  little  more 
as  it  looks  to  me.  But  you  're  different ;  and 
if  you  can't,  you  can't,  and  that's  all  there 
is  about  it.  But  it's  useless  to  try  to  per- 
suade me  to  give  up  my  plans.  A  thing  that 
you  've  thought  about  and  dreamt  about  and 
planned  and  worked  for  through  fifteen  years 
gets  to  be  part  of  your  very  blood,  my  boy, 
and  it's  not  so  easily  cast  aside." 

"Well,"  said  Homer,  "you  are  you;  and 
if  you've  got  to  do  this  thing  I  suppose 
it  can't  be  helped."  He  paused,  thinking 


NARROWING  THE  QUEST       329 

intently.  "  But  when  you  go  North  next 
week  —  if  one  of  those  men  proves  to  be 
Delafield  —  you  won't  —  at  once  —  He 
stumbled  over  his  words,  unable  to  put  his 
brother's  purpose  into  plain  speech. 

Curtis  took  up  his  meaning.  "  No ;  not  im- 
mediately. I  've  got  to  come  home  again 
first." 

"  Then  you  '11  be  back  here  before  you  do 
anything?  That's  sure,  is  it,  Curt?"  asked 
Homer,  relief  in  his  voice. 

'  Yes ;  sure.  I  've  got  some  important 
business  that  I  promised  the  Castletons  I  'd 
attend  to  the  week  after,  and  I  '11  take  no 
chances  till  I  get  that  fixed  up  for  them." 

The  next  morning  there  was  a  promise  of 
rain  in  the  air  and  the  sky.  A  dome  of 
pale,  bright  gray,  resting  on  murky  supports 
of  cloud,  had  taken  the  place  of  the  usual 
heaven  of  vivid  blue.  But  the  wind,  blow- 
ing warm  and  strong  from  the  west,  bore 
little  moisture  upon  its  wings,  and  the  air 
was  laden  with  an  electric  tingle  that  stretched 
and  jarred  unaccustomed  nerves. 

Hank  Peters  and  Jose  Gonzalez  were  work- 
ing in  the  corral  when  Curtis  Conrad  came 
across  from  the  door  of  his  room  to  give  them 
some  directions.  Presently  he  asked  if  they 


33o        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

or  any  of  the  boys  had  seen  anything  lately 
of  the  gray  wolf  that  had  skulked  about  the 
neighborhood  earlier  in  the  season.  Nosey 
Ike,  they  said,  had  seen  it  only  the  day  be- 
fore in  the  second  draw  on  the  road  toward 
Golden. 

"  He  did  ?  "  exclaimed  Curtis.  "  I  'm  going 
to  Golden  to-day,  and  perhaps  I  can  get  a 
crack  at  it.  I  '11  be  home  by  six  o'clock, 
Peters,  and  I  want  to  talk  with  you  to-night 
about  some  work  at  Adobe  Springs  to-morrow. 
But  to-day 's  Sunday,  boys,  and  we  've  come 
finally  where  we  can  stop  and  take  breath 
once  a  week.  You  fellows  can  do  anything 
you  like  to-day." 

Peters  thought  he  'd  sleep  all  day,  for  he 
had  n't  caught  up  since  the  barbecue ;  but 
Jose  wanted  to  visit  a  Mexican  family  who 
had  a  little  ranch  beside  a  spring  on  the  road 
to  Golden. 

"  All  right,"  said  the  superintendent. 
"  Take  whichever  one  of  the  ponies  you 
want,  but  be  sure  to  get  back  to-night." 

"  Curt,"  said  Homer  when  they  sat  down 
to  breakfast,  "  if  you  're  not  going  to  use 
Brown  Betty  to-day,  would  you  mind  if  I  rode 
her  over  to  Golden?  Or  wouldn't  you  like 
to  go  with  me  ?  I  'm  going  to  call  at  the 


NARROWING  THE  QUEST       331 

Bancrofts'  to  see  if  Miss  Bancroft  has  re- 
covered from  the  shock  she  had  the  other 
night." 

Curtis  hesitated  a  moment  as  he  poured 
their  coffee,  his  own  plan  rising  before  him 
invitingly.  But  he  remembered  how  pleased 
the  two  young  people  had  seemed  to  be  with 
each  other  and  recalled  his  own  resolution: 
"  Let  the  lad  have  a  fair  field,"  he  thought. 

"  Brown  Betty  ?  Certainly,  Homer,"  was 
his  reply.  "  I  '11  see  that  she 's  ready  for  you. 
I  can't  go  because  I  must  ride  down  to  Adobe 
Springs  to  see  about  some  work  the  boys  must 
do  there  to-morrow.  Give  my  regards  to  the 
Bancrofts.  By  the  way,  Mrs.  Ned  Castleton 
gave  me  a  message  for  Miss  Bancroft  that 
I  '11  let  you  deliver." 

As  Homer  mounted  for  his  journey  he  cast 
an  anxious  glance  at  the  wet-looking  clouds 
against  which  rose  the  purple-blue,  statu- 
esque masses  of  the  Mogollon  Mountains, 
and  asked,  "Is  it  going  to  rain?" 

"  It  will  sure  rain  in  the  mountains,"  re- 
plied his  brother,  "  if  it  is  n't  pouring  down 
by  the  bucketful  there  already.  There  may 
be  a  shower  in  Golden,  but  the  creek  will  get 
on  the  rampage  anyway,  and  maybe  carry 
away  some  of  the  bridges.  We  shan't  get 


332        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

any  here  right  away,  but  it 's  coming,  thank 
God!  I  tell  you,  Homer,  it's  been  a  cruel 
thing  to  see  the  cattle  dying  like  flies  on  ac- 
count of  the  drouth.  For  a  while  last  Spring 
I  thought  of  throwing  up  this  job,  I  hated 
so  to  see  the  suffering  of  the  poor  brutes." 

For  a  while  all  the  man  in  Curtis  Conrad 
clamored  in  revolt  as  he  galloped  southward 
across  the  silent,  empty  plain  and  thought  of 
Lucy  smiling  a  welcome  from  her  veranda 
steps  —  and  not  upon  him.  His  love  called 
imperiously,  demanding  that  he  make  trial  of 
its  strength.  Should  he  give  up  the  girl  he 
loved  without  an  effort,  even  though  his  rival 
be  his  brother?  The  primeval  man  in  him 
was  quick  with  the  desire  to  take  her  in  his 
arms  and  bear  her  away  from  all  the  world. 
But  it  was  not  long  until  he  was  saying 
grimly  to  himself,  "  What  have  I  to  do  with 
love-making  and  winning  a  wife?  The  Dela- 
field  affair  is  my  business,  and  I  'd  better  stick 
to  it." 

He  pondered  over  the  conversation  with  his 
brother  on  the  previous  evening,  feeling  more 
keenly  Homer's  condemnation  of  his  purpose. 
He  remembered  that  every  one  with  whom 
he  had  spoken  about  the  matter  had  sought 
to  dissuade  him.  Bancroft  disapproved,  and 


NARROWING  THE  QUEST       333 

had  begged  him  many  times  to  desist.  Miss 
Dent  called  it  unworthy  of  him.  Now  his 
brother,  upon  whose  sympathy  he  had  counted, 
condemned  both  his  feeling  and  his  intention. 
Nevertheless,  he  was  surely  right.  It  was 
easy  for  them  to  talk,  for  they  had  not  suf- 
fered from  the  man's  crimes,  they  had  not 
struggled  as  he  had,  and  they  had  not  spent 
years  in  the  effort  to  find  Delafield  and  cast 
his  sins  in  his  face.  But  still,  his  cherished 
purpose  had  lost  a  little  of  its  savor.  He 
thought  of  his  journey  northward,  which  he 
so  ardently  hoped  would  consummate  his 
years  of  effort  and  desire,  and  there  was  not 
quite  the  usual  pleasure  in  his  mental  fore- 
cast. He  put  the  thought  of  Lucy  behind 
him  and  went  over  once  more  that  early 
struggle  and  the  birth  of  his  purpose,  brought 
more  vividly  to  mind  by  the  talk  with  Homer, 
and  soon  the  old  ideas  and  intentions  recov- 
ered their  accustomed  sway.  By  the  time  he 
galloped  homeward  in  the  late  afternoon  his 
indignation  was  once  more  hot  and  seething 
and  his  mind  full  of  zest  for  his  approaching 
journey. 

He  found  Homer  in  the  corral  unsad- 
dling Brown  Betty  and  humming  a  college 
tune.  "  Say,  Curt,  I  think  I  '11  go  hunting 


334        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

to-morrow/'  said  the  young  man  as  they 
walked  across  to  the  house.  "  I  want  to  see 
if  I  can't  get  a  shot  at  that  gray  wolf  you  've 
been  telling  me  about.  As  I  was  coming 
home  your  Mexican  cowboy  had  sighted  it 
not  far  from  the  road,  in  that  valley  beyond 
the  hill  yonder,  and  was  just  about  to  shoot 
when  I  had  the  bad  luck  to  come  along  and 
scare  the  thing  away." 

Curtis  looked  up  with  quick  interest. 
"Jose?  What  was  he  doing?  Did  he 
shoot?" 

"  He  jumped  from  his  hiding-place  just  as 
I  came  along,  so  suddenly  that  the  mare  shied 
and  nearly  threw  me.  He  was  just  ready  to 
shoot  —  he  said  the  beast  was  only  a  little 
way  down  the  draw  —  and  saw  me  barely  in 
time  to  throw  up  his  revolver  and  send  it  off 
at  the  sky.  By  that  time,  of  course,  the  wolf 
was  out  of  sight.  I  'm  going  back  there  at 
daybreak  to-morrow  to  see  if  I  can  get  a  crack 
at  it." 

Just  then  Gonzalez  came  riding  into  the 
corral,  and  Curtis  moved  his  chair  to  the 
doorway,  in  front  of  his  brother.  "  All  right, 
Homer,  I  wish  you  would,"  he  said;  "  it  would 
be  just  a  tenderfoot's  luck,  you  know,  if  you 
should  get  it."  He  was  rolling  a  cigarette, 


NARROWING  THE  QUEST       335 

but  keeping  one  eye  on  Jose,  who  was  caring 
for  his  horse.  ;<  Was  there  much  rain  in 
Golden  to-day?"  he  asked. 

"  Yes ;  quite  a  storm,  with  lots  of  fireworks ; 
I  never  saw  such  lightning  or  heard  such 
thunder  in  my  life.  There  must  have  been 
a  flood  farther  up  in  the  mountains,  for  the 
creek  came  down  that  ravine  fairly  booming, 
just  as  you  said  it  would.  It  swept  away  one 
of  the  bridges  and  washed  out  parts  of  the 
foundations  of  two  or  three  houses.  But  it 
soon  went  down  again." 

'Was  the  bank  building  injured?"  Curtis 
asked,  still  following  with  narrowed  eyes  the 
movements  of  Gonzalez.  "  It 's  in  a  danger- 
ous spot  if  a  really  bad  flood  ever  does  come 
down  that  valley." 

"The  First  National?  That's  Bancroft's 
bank,  is  n't  it  ?  Yes ;  it  lost  some  bricks  out 
of  the  foundation,  and  the  ground  was  washed 
away  a  little.  Nothing  of  consequence." 

'  Well,  that  has  happened  several  times 
already;  some  of  these  days  it  will  happen 
once  too  often.  Long  ago,  I  'm  told,  the 
street  and  sidewalk  had  to  be  moved  to  the 
other  side  of  the  houses  for  a  block  or  two 
along  there.  You  remember  the  creek  elbows 
toward  the  bank.  If  a  great  mass  of  water 


336        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

ever  comes  down  that  canyon  it  will  rush 
straight  against  the  side  of  the  building  — 
and  the  lives  of  whoever  happens  to  be  inside 
won't  be  worth  two  switches  of  a  cow's  tail." 

"I  talked  with  Mr.  Bancroft  about  that 
possibility  to-day,"  said  Homer,  "and  he 
doesn't  think  the  situation  is  dangerous." 

"Yes;  nobody  in  Golden  believes  there's 
any  danger.  And  they  may  be  right.  They 
say  there  is  n't  as  much  .rain  now  as  there 
used  to  be,  and  that  cloud-bursts  of  any  con- 
sequence are  as  rare  as  six-legged  calves.  It 
will  all  depend  on  the  weather." 

The  next  morning  Jose  Gonzalez  was  hitch- 
ing up  to  drive  the  men  to  Adobe  Springs 
when  Conrad  walked  up,  leaned  carelessly 
against  the  wheel,  and  looked  him  in  the  eye. 
The  Mexican  returned  the  gaze  unflinchingly 
but  respectfully.  "  Jose,"  said  Curtis  in  a  low 
tone,  "  you  made  a  mistake  about  that  wolf 
last  night,  didn't  you?  It  wasn't  the  wolf 
you  thought  it  was  when  you  made  ready  to 
shoot,  was  it?  " 

An  amused  gleam  lighted  for  an  instant 
Jose's  sombre  eyes.  "  It  might  have  been  as 
you  say,  Don  Curtis,"  he  answered  cautiously. 

"  I  don't  want  any  might-have-beens ;  I 
want  to  know  if  you  are  making  war  on  my 


NARROWING  THE  QUEST       337 

brother  as  well  as  on  me.  It 's  all  right  about 
me,  but  I  won't  have  anything  of  the  sort 
where  he 's  concerned.  I  want  the  truth, 
Jose.  Is  anything  of  the  kind  going  to  hap- 
pen again  ?  " 

Gonzalez  looked  at  Conrad  squarely  as  he 
earnestly  replied :  "  It  was  a  mistake,  Don 
Curtis;  I  swear  to  you  it  was  a  mistake. 
Your  brother  looks  much  like  you,  it  was 
your  mare,  and  you  had  said  you  would  be 
back  from  Golden  about  that  hour.  I  saw 
it  was  Don  Homer  barely  in  time.  After  this 
I  shall  be  more  careful." 

Conrad  grinned  at  the  closing  sentence,  and 
the  Mexican  scarcely  repressed  an  answering 
smile.  "  Well,  I  am  going  away  to-day,"  said 
Curtis,  "  to  be  gone  for  several  days.  So  it 
won't  be  necessary  for  you  to  make  any  mis- 
takes while  I  'm  gone." 

Jose  looked  up  in  quick  alarm.     "  You  are 
not  going  to  Don  Dellmey  ?  "  he  exclaimed. 
"  He  is  not  the  one  who  wishes  your  death !  " 
'What  do  you  say,  Jose?"  the  other  de- 
manded, starting  forward  eagerly. 

"  I  swear  to  you  by  the  Mother  of  God, 
Don  Curtis,"  said  the  Mexican,  with  voice 
intense  and  manner  most  earnest,  "  that  it  is 
not  Sefior  Baxter  who  desires  your  death." 


338        THE   DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

"Are  you  speaking  the  truth,  Jose?" 

"  I  will  swear  it  on  the  crucifix,  Don' 
Curtis!" 

Conrad  gazed  at  him  steadfastly,  and  the 
conviction  entered  his  mind  that  Gonzalez  was 
speaking  the  truth.  A  look  of  puzzled  wonder 
overspread  his  face.  "  In  the  name  of  God, 
then,  who  is  it  ?  "  he  said,  half  aloud.  The 
Mexican  shrugged  a  shoulder  and  turned 
away. 

:<  Who  can  it  be?"  the  manager  repeated, 
to  himself,  but  still  loud  enough  for  the  other 
to  hear.  "  It  must  be  Delafield ! "  he  ex- 
claimed. Jose's  ear  caught  the  words,  and 
he  listened  as  his  employer  went  on:  "He 
knows  I  'm  after  him,  and  he  's  trying  to  kill 
me  first.  If  I  could  only  make  this  coyote 
greaser  tell  me  who  his  patron  is,  I  'd  know 
who  Delafield  is.  I  'd  like  to  choke  it  out  of 
you,  you  son  of  perdition ! "  He  looked  so 
fiercely  at  Gonzalez  that  the  Mexican  took  a 
threatening  step  forward. 

'  You  need  n't  worry,"  Conrad  exclaimed 
contemptuously.  "  I  know  you  would  n't  tell, 
even  if  I  choked  the  life  out  of  you  trying  to 
make  you  peach.  It 's  your  patron  I  'm  after." 
Jose  stooped  to  hitch  the  traces,  and  Curtis 
broke  out  impulsively:  "I  say,  Jose,  what 


NARROWING  THE  QUEST        339 

makes  you  do  this  sort  of  thing?  You  're  as 
square  as  they  make  'em  in  most  things; 
why  do  you  go  into  this  damned  rattlesnake 
business  ?  " 

Gonzalez  looked  up  with  a  confiding  smile. 

4  The  patron  wishes  it;    and  why  not?     If 

I  kill  a  man  he  gets  me  off  if  he  can,  and 

then  that  is  all  right.     If  he  can't,  I  pay  for 

it  in  prison  —  and  that  is  fair." 

"  Huh !  "  grunted  the  superintendent  as  he 
walked  away.  "  So  you  think  you  are  going 
to  pay  for  me  that  way,  do  you?  Well,  I 
guess  not ! " 

The  same  train  that  carried  Conrad  north- 
ward to  Santa  Fe  carried  also  a  brief  and 
hurried  letter  to  Dellmey  Baxter  which  Jose 
Gonzalez  had  found  time  to  write  before  he 
and  the  rest  started  for  Adobe  Springs,  mail- 
ing it  as  they  passed  White  Rock  station. 

'  You  will  see  Sefior  Conrad  in  Santa  Fe," 
the  Congressman  read  in  his  office  the  next 
morning,  "  but  you  need  not  be  anxious.  I 
have  sworn  to  him  that  it  is  not  you  who  de- 
sires his  death,  and  he  believes  me.  I  heard 
him  speak  to  himself,  and  he  said  it  must  be 
Delafeel  who  wishes  him  dead.  He  said  he 
would  like  to  choke  out  of  me  who  my  patron 
is,  for  then  he  would  know  who  Delafeel  is. 


340        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

Don  Curtis  is  a  very  brave  man.  I  like  him 
much." 

Baxter  chuckled  over  the  closing  sentences 
as  he  tore  the  letter  into  bits.  Poking  them 
musingly  with  a  fat  forefinger  he  thought: 
"  It 's  a  sure  bet  that  his  patron  just  now  is 
Aleck  Bancroft;  and  that  makes  it  look  as 
if  Aleck  might  be  this  mysterious  Delafeel  — 
I  '11  have  to  find  out  who  Delafeel  is  and  what 
he  's  done  some  time  or  other ;  then  I  sure 
reckon  I  '11  have  a  cinch  on  Aleck  that  will 
keep  him  from  trying  to  step  into  my  shoes 
as  long  as  I  want  him  to  keep  out."  He 
looked  out  of  his  window  into  the  little  tree- 
filled  plaza,  cool  and  green  in  the  morning 
sunlight,  and  saw  Curtis  Conrad  walking 
across  it  from  the  hotel  on  the  other  side.  He 
took  a  six-shooter  from  his  pocket,  made  sure 
of  its  cartridges,  and  replaced  it.  From  a 
drawer  in  his  desk  he  took  another,  examined 
its  chambers,  and  laid  it  on  his  desk,  under 
an  open  newspaper.  A  moment  later  he  was 
rising  from  his  chair  with  outstretched  hand 
and  beaming  smile. 

'''  Why,  how  do  you  do,  Mr.  Conrad !  I  'm 
sure  glad  to  see  you.  How  did  you  leave 
things  down  in  old  Silverside?  That  was  a 
high  old  time  we  had  at  the  barbecue,  was  n't 


NARROWING  THE  QUEST       341 

it?  Have  the  Castletons  gone  yet?  A  fine 
figure  of  a  woman  is  Mrs.  Turner  Castleton ! 
And  I  tell  you  right  now  it  was  a  great  shave 
she  gave  me !  "  The  Honorable  Dellmey  Bax- 
ter rubbed  his  cheek,  and  chuckled.  But  his 
right  hand  rested  on  his  desk,  close  beside 
the  newspaper  which  he  had  apparently  just 
thrown  down. 

"  Mr.  Baxter,"  said  Conrad,  ignoring  the 
stream  of  questions  and  remarks,  "  some 
weeks  ago  I  wrote  you,  saying  frankly  that 
I  believed  you  responsible  for  attempts  against 
my  life,  made  by  a  Mexican  who  had  come 
from  you  to  me.  I  find  myself  mistaken,  and 
I  have  come  to  apologize  to  you  for  my 
suspicions." 

"  That 's  all  right,  Curt,  that 's  all  right! " 
Baxter  broke  in,  relief  apparent  in  his  coun- 
tenance. "  I  '11  admit  I  felt  hurt  by  your  in- 
sinuations, but  as  long  as  you  've  found  out 
you  were  wrong  and  are  willing  to  do  me  the 
justice  of  saying  so,  it 's  not  worth  speaking 
of  again." 

"  Understand,"  Curtis  went  on,  "  that  I  'm 
not  taking  back  or  apologizing  for  anything 
else  I  Jve  said  about  you,  and  I  'm  still  shout- 
ing for  Johnny  Martinez  for  Congress." 

"  Johnny  is  to  be  congratulated  for  having 


342        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

your  support,"  Baxter  rejoined  genially ;  "  I 
wish  I  could  get  it  away  from  him.  Has  that 
measly  greaser  made  any  more  attempts  on 
your  life,  my  dear  Conrad  ?  You  're  too  good 
a  citizen  for  the  Territory  to  lose  in  that 
way." 

Curtis  smiled  carelessly.  "  I  don't  think  my 
life  is  in  any  danger.  No  damned  greaser 
will  get  the  chance  to  stick  me  in  the  back 
when  I  've  got  both  eyes  shut  and  one  foot 
tucked  up  in  my  feathers,  if  I  'm  onto  his 
game.  I  don't  care  anything  about  Jose;  it 's 
his  patron  I  'm  after." 

"  His  patron! "  exclaimed  Baxter  in  appar- 
ent surprise.  "  You  don't  mean  to  say  that 
Jose's  got  a  patron  in  that  business ! "  His 
visitor  nodded  and  the  Congressman  went  on : 
'  You  don't  say  so !  I  did  n't  suppose  you 
had  an  enemy  in  the  Territory.  This  is  in- 
teresting! We  must  get  at  the  bottom  of 
this,  Mr.  Conrad,  for  we  can't  afford  to  lose 
you.  Have  you  any  idea  who  's  behind  the 
greaser?  " 

Curtis  considered  a  moment.  He  might  get 
some  information  from  Baxter  that  would 
help  him;  it  would  do  no  harm  to  speak 
cautiously.  "Yes,  and  no,  Mr.  Baxter.  I 
know  who  he  used  to  be,  but  I  don't  know 


NARROWING  THE  QUEST       343 

who  he  is  now.  His  name  used  to  be  Dela- 
field,  back  in  the  States." 

"  Delafield  —  Delafield,"  mused  Baxter. 
He  had  got  the  conversation  where  he  wanted 
it.  "I  don't  remember  having  heard  that 
name  in  New  Mexico." 

'  That  has  n't  been  his  name  for  a  good 
many  years.  Don't  you  remember  the  Dela- 
field affair  in  Boston,  some  fifteen  years 
ago  —  Sumner  L.  Delafield,  who  made  a  big 
spread  in  the  financial  world,  defaulted,  and 
ran  away?  " 

'Why,  of  course!"  The  Congressman 
brought  his  fat  fist  down  on  the  table  with 
a  thump.  "  The  Delafield  affair!  Yes;  I 
remember  it,  and  how  Delafield  slid  out  and 
covered  up  his  tracks  completely.  And  you 
say  he  's  living  in  New  Mexico  now  ?  " 

'  Yes ;  he 's  a  rich,  prominent,  and  re- 
spected citizen  of  New  Mexico.  But  I 
have  n't  discovered  which  one  of  'em,  and  he 
does  n't  want  me  to  find  out.  My  father 
lost  all  he  had  in  the  smash." 

They  talked  a  little  longer,  and  Curtis 
learned  enough  about  the  history  of  the  two 
men  he  had  in  mind  to  be  satisfied  that  neither 
of  them  was  the  one  he  sought. 

After  Conrad  went  away,  Baxter  leaned 


344        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

back  and  folded  his  hands  across  his  waist- 
coat, his  left  eyelid  drooping  and  his  face 
beaming  with  smiles.  "  Now,"  he  thought, 
'''  I  've  got  Aleck  Bancroft  exactly  where  he 
can  do  me  the  most  good ! " 


CHAPTER   XXI 

THE    SILENT   DUEL 

AS  July  sped  on  Homer  Conrad's  visits 
A\  to  Golden  grew  more  and  more  fre: 
quent.  When  Curtis  returned  from 
his  northern  journey,  still  ignorant  of  Dela- 
field's  identity,  Homer  was  greatly  relieved, 
and  tried  once  more  to  dissuade  his  brother. 
"  Anyway,  Curt,"  he  urged,  "  don't  do  any- 
thing more  about  it  now.  Let  it  rest  a  while, 
and  think  about  it  more  coolly  and  carefully; 
you  '11  see  how  foolish  it  is  if  you  do  that." 
As  Curtis  did  not  mention  the  subject  again, 
he  concluded  that  his  advice  had  been  taken 
and  that  there  was  no  reason  for  immediate 
anxiety.  His  mind  at  rest  on  that  score,  he 
devoted  himself  more  than  ever  to  Lucy  Ban- 
croft. He  talked  -of  her  so  much  to  his 
brother  that  Curtis  soon  saw  how  complete 
was  his  absorption.  :<  I  guess  they  're  hitting 
it  off  together  all  right,"  he  concluded. 

Curtis  Conrad  tried  to  accustom  himself 
to  the  idea  of  Lucy  as  his  brother's  wife.    It 


346        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

cost  him  many  a  painful  twinge,  and  once  the 
rebellious  thought  came  into  his  mind,  "  If 
it  hadn't  been  for  the  Delafield  affair  I 
might  —  "  But  a  little  shock,  as  if  he  had 
fallen  away  from  some  ideal  or  been  guilty  of 
an  irreverence,  stopped  the  notion.  Now  and 
then,  too,  he  had  misgivings  as  to  what  Lucy 
would  think  of  him  if  she  knew.  He  shrank 
from  the  feeling  that  her  condemnation  would 
be  as  unsparing  as  his  brother's,  with  more 
of  horror  and  disgust.  For  the  first  time  he 
began  to  think  about  what  might  lie  beyond 
that  longed-for  meeting  with  Delafield.  One 
day,  musing  upon  Homer  and  Lucy,  he  had 
a  sudden  vision  of  himself  as  a  commiserated 
kinsman,  and  smiled  grimly  as  he  reflected, 
"  It  might  be  a  good  thing  for  them  if  I  got 
my  quietus  in  the  scrimmage." 

These  signs  of  a  change  slowly  going  on 
within  him  sometimes  came  as  a  flash  of  feel- 
ing, while  again  the  thoughts  induced  held  him 
for  hours.  The  emotion  that  had  so  power- 
fully rushed  over  him  when  he  first  realized 
his  love  for  Lucy  had  jarred  his  grip  upon 
his  purpose ;  and  afterward  intimate  daily  as- 
sociation with  his  brother  and  knowledge  of 
the  young  man's  severe  disapproval  united  to 
move  him  now  and  then  from  his  old  point 


THE  SILENT  DUEL  347 

of  view  and  to  give  him  brief  visitations  of 
more  wholesome  feeling.  If  his  love  for  Lucy, 
so  suddenly  realized,  had  met  with  no  check, 
it  alone  might  have  been  enough  in  time  to 
turn  him  from  his  plans.  A  man  of  his 
temperament  cannot  be  fired  by  two  enthusi- 
asms at  the  same  time.  He  must  give  him- 
self wholly  to  his  absorbing  desire.  Since  at 
the  core  Conrad's  nature  was  sound  and  sweet, 
it  is  likely  that  after  a  little  his  love  would 
have  overmastered  his  desire  for  revenge. 
But  Lucy's  flirtation  with  his  brother,  induced 
by  pique  and'  disappointment  at  his  constant 
association  with  Mrs.  Ned  Castleton,  and 
Homer's  prompt  infatuation  had  led  him  to 
believe  that  the  two  younger  people  were  in 
love  with  each  other.  Consequently  he  did 
his  best  to  restrain  his  own  feelings,  and  so 
limited  their  check  upon  the  older  sentiment. 
Francisquita  little  knew,  or  would  ever  guess, 
what  grave  consequences  were  flowing  from 
her  innocent  effort  to  keep  her  sister-in-law 
within  bounds.  But  for  that  the  outcome  of 
the  Delafield  affair  would  have  been  "  another 
story." 

Conrad  returned  from  Santa  Fe  much  dis- 
appointed by  the  failure  of  the  clews  that  had 
promised  so  much.  He  debated  whether  it 


348        THE   DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

would  be  worth  while  to  try  to  compel  Gon- 
zalez to  disclose  the  name  of  his  employer 
should  the  Mexican  attack  him  again.  He 
was  doubtful  of  the  success  of  such  a  plan, 
for  he  believed  Jose  as  likely  to  give  up  his 
life  as  his  secret.  Nevertheless,  he  decided 
it  would  be  worth  trying.  For  several  weeks 
after  his  return  it  chanced  that  whenever  he 
went  from  home  it 'was  with  Peters  or  some 
of  the  men,  while  there  was  always  somebody 
about  the  corral  and  the  house.  He  knew 
Gonzalez  was  watching  him  constantly,  await- 
ing the  moment  when  they  should  be  alone. 
Toward  the  end  of  July  he  made  up  his  mind 
to  provide  the  opportunity  and  bring  matters 
to  a  focus. 

On  the  day  he  reached  this  decision  his 
brother  returned  from  Golden  looking  de- 
jected. "  They  've  quarrelled/'  was  Curtis's 
inward  comment.  He  said  nothing,  nor  did 
Homer  mention  Lucy's  name,  contrary  to  his 
custom  of  talking  much  about  her  after  a  day 
in  her  society.  He  was  also  less  talkative 
than  usual  upon  other  subjects.  During  the 
evening,  while  Curtis  read,  Homer  sat  by  the 
open  door  and  smoked  in  gloomy  silence, 
listening  to  the  pouring  rain  and  the  rolling 
and  echoing  thunder.  He  was  wondering, 


THE  SILENT  DUEL  349 

half  in  lover's  anger  and  half  in  lover's  down- 
heartedness,  why  Lucy  had  been  so  unrea- 
sonable that  day,  and  why  she  had  acted  as 
if  she  did  not  care  whether  he  came  or  stayed 
away.  Well,  he  would  not  trouble  her  with 
his  company  again  very  soon.  He  and  Pen- 
dleton  had  been  talking  about  a  camping  and 
hunting  trip  in  the  Mogollon  Mountains,  and 
he  would  see  if  they  could  n't  get  up  the  party 
and  go  at  once. 

The  next  morning  a  sky  of  pure,  deep,  bril- 
liant blue  shone  over  a  freshening,  greening 
plain.  Homer  rose  from  the  breakfast  table 
and  walked  out  into  the  corral,  throwing  back 
his  shoulders  and  breathing  deeply  of  the  dry, 
cool,  exhilarating  air.  It  seemed  a  different 
world  from  that  of  yesterday.  There  was  no 
hurry  about  the  camping  trip,  after  all.  "  I 
think  I  '11  ride  over  to  Golden,"  he  said  to  his 
brother,  "  and  see  if  that  storm  last  night  did 
much  damage.  It  looked  black  in  the  moun- 
tains when  I  was  coming  home  in  the  after- 
noon, and  a  bad  flood  may  have  come  down 
the  ravine." 

Curtis  smiled  quizzically.  A  certain  eager 
masterfulness  in  the  young  man's  air  brought 
to  his  mind  conviction  of  the  real  purport  of 
his  brother's  errand,  and  he  felt  no  doubt  of 


350        THE   DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

its  result.  "  A  good  idea,"  he  assented.  "  It 
was  a  bad  storm  and  may  have  done  a  lot  of 
harm.  But  I  '11  have  to  use  Brown  Betty 
myself  to-day.  You  can  have  your  pick  of 
the  others." 

He  stood  by  and  called  out,  "  Good  luck, 
old  fellow !  "  as  Homer  mounted  his  horse,  and 
laughed  and  swung  his  sombrero  as  the  other 
turned  away  a  blushing  face.  Curtis  gazed 
after  him,  a  swift  vision  filling  his  mind  of 
the  look  that  countenance  would  wear  when 
he  returned  to  tell  him  proudly  that  he  had 
won  Lucy's  promise  to  be  his  wife.  "  And 
by  that  time  I  'm  going  to  know  who  Dela- 
field  is,"  he  thought,  his  lips  compressed,  as 
he  turned  quickly  into  the  corral. 

'  Jose,"  he  called,  "  I  want  you  to  go  to 
Adobe  Springs  this  morning  and  see  if  any 
of  the  cattle  are  mired  in  the  overflow  from 
the  storm  last  night.  Then  deepen  the  outlet 
so  the  water  will  all  be  carried  away.  You  'd 
better  start  at  once.  I  '11  come  after  you  in 
about  half  an  hour  and  show  you  about  dig- 
ging out  the  outlet." 

As  Gonzalez  mounted  his  horse  at  the  corral 
gate  he  looked  back  and  saw  Conrad  standing 
beside  his  mare,  making  her  hunt  through  his 
pockets  for  sugar.  "  A  brave  man  is  Don 


THE  SILENT  DUEL  351 

Curtis,"  his  thoughts  ran.  "  He  is  so  brave 
it  does  not  seem  right  that  he  must  die. 
But  —  "  and  he  shrugged  his  shoulders  with 
the  air  of  one  who  says,  "What  would  you?  " 
When  Jose  was  well  out  of  sight  Conrad 
started  after  him,  at  first  at  a  slower  pace 
than  usual.  His  mind  was  not  upon  the  ex- 
pected encounter,  with  its  doubtful  issue,  nor 
upon  the  information,  so  long  and  ardently 
desired,  that  he  hoped  to  extort  from  the 
Mexican.  A  month  previous  he  would  have 
been  intent  on  that  one  thing,  his  thoughts 
absorbed  in  it,  and  his  heart  on  fire  with  an- 
ticipation. Now  he  dwelt  upon  the  idea  of 
marriage  between  Lucy  and  Homer.  "  The 
lad  's  a  better  man  than  I,"  he  was  thinking. 
'  There  's  more  in  him,  and  ten  years  from 
now  I  shan't  be  able  to  stack  up  alongside  of 
him  and  make  any  showing  at  all  —  even  if 
I  'm  not  in  prison  or  hanged  by  the  neck  until 
dead  long  before." 

He  bared  his  brow,  curiously  white  above 
the  rest  of  his  sunburned  face,  to  the  south 
wind.  His  lips  tightened  and  his  eyes  glowed 
as  he  looked  out  over  the  gray  road  stretch- 
ing before  him,  while  his  inward  vision  flashed 
down  the  grim  and  lonely  path  that  led  into 
the  future.  It  was  the  way  he  had  chosen, 


352        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

the  one  he  had  travelled  with  eager  feet  for 
fifteen  years,  and  he  must  follow  it  to  the 
end.  A  few  miles  farther  on  that  gray  track, 
perhaps  just  beyond  that  next  hill,  the  longed- 
for  knowledge  was  awaiting  him.  He  would 
force  it  from  Gonzalez,  and  then  —  Delafield ! 
The  thought  fired  his  heart  once  more  and 
his  eyes  blazed  with  the  old  indignation  as  his 
mind  went  back  to  the  grief  and  loss  of  his 
early  years,  to  that  lonely  night  of  hate  and 
anger  when  his  deadly  purpose  was  born.  He 
touched  Brown  Betty  with  his  spur,  quicken- 
ing her  pace  to  a  smart  gallop  as  he  searched 
the  road  and  plain  with  ardent  eyes.  His 
heart  was  bounding  forward  with  anticipa- 
tion, the  savor  of  longed-for  vengeance  once 
more  strong  in  his  throat.  In  front  of  him 
lay  a  wide,  shallow  valley,  with  steep,  storm- 
torn  rims  and  brows  shaggy  with  mesquite. 

"  I  reckon,  Betty  B.,"  he  said  aloud,  "  it 's 
about  time  to  be  looking  for  Jose,  and  this 
draw  seems  a  likely  sort  of  place  for  him." 

He  drew  his  revolver,  glanced  at  its  cham- 
bers, held  it  across  the  pommel  in  his  right 
hand,  and  made  sure  of  the  handful  of  cart- 
ridges he  had  put  in  his  pocket  on  leaving 
home.  Brown  Betty  cantered  across  the  bot- 
tom of  the  valley  and,  as  she  climbed  the  steep 


THE  SILENT  DUEL  353 

bank  on  the  other  side,  lifted  her  Head  and 
neighed.  From  somewhere  in  the  distance 
came  an  answering  whinny.  "  It 's  one  of 
our  horses,"  thought  Conrad. 

At  the  hilltop  he  carefully  searched  the 
plain;  a  little  way  down  the  road,  beside  a 
clump  of  bushes,  he  saw  a  riderless  horse.  He 
chuckled.  "  Jose  's  sure  hiding  out  around 
there  somewhere,"  was  his  instant  conviction. 
His  head  was  high,  his  eyes  flashing,  and  his 
face  set  in  hard  lines  as  he  started  the  mare 
forward  at  a  brisk  trot.  His  gaze  travelled 
toward  the  other  horse,  studying  every  bunch 
of  mesquite  and  questioning  every  clump  of 
amole  and  yucca  that  grew  between. 

His  eye  caught  the  motion  of  branches  in 
a  tall,  spreading  thicket  of  mesquite  a  hun- 
dred yards  away,  not  far  from  the  road. 
They  swayed  against  the  wind  for  a  moment, 
trembled  back  and  forth,  and  then  bent  be- 
fore the  breeze  like  their  fellows.  The  growth 
was  dense,  but  behind  it  he  could  distinguish 
the  outlines  of  a  darker  mass,  and  an  instant 
later  he  saw  a  tiny  flash  of  light  reflected 
from  some  small,  bright  object.  "  That  must 
be  the  sun  on  his  gun-sight,"  said  Curtis, 
"  and  I  reckon  it 's  time  to  prepare  for 
war." 

23 


354        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

Dismounting,  he  threw  the  mare's  bridle 
over  her  neck.  "  No ;  she  '11  follow  me,"  he 
thought,  "  and  she  does  n't  need  to  mix  up 
in  the  Delafield  affair." 

His  eye  still  on  the  suspicious  clump  of 
bushes,  Conrad  fastened  the  mare  to  an 
outreaching  mesquite  limb  at_  the  roadside. 
"  This  is  a  better  place  for  you,  Brown  Betty, 
nice  old  girl,"  he  said,  reaching  back  to  pat 
her  neck  as  she  nickered  after  him. 

His  pistol  in  his  hand  and  his  vision  hold- 
ing the  dark  object  behind  the  feathery  green 
plumes  of  the  mesquite,  he  went  on  briskly 
until  he  had  covered  half  the  distance  between 
them.  Then  he  saw  the  object  move  cau- 
tiously a  little  to  one  side,  where  the  leaves 
were  not  so  thick.  Plainly  visible  now  were 
the  straw  sombrero,  the  dusky  face  below  it, 
the  outline  of  the  body,  and  the  revolver  held 
steadily  between  the  branches. 

Half  a  dozen  strides  more,  and  he  fixed  his 
eyes  upon  those  of  Gonzalez,  dark  and  bril- 
liant, gleaming  through  the  scant,  fern-like 
foliage  like  two  coals  of  brown  fire.  Conrad's 
six-shooter  pointed  straight  between  them  as 
he  walked  slowly  toward  the  bush.  He  knew 
that  Jose's  was  levelled  at  his  breast.  Re- 
volver cocked  and  finger  at  trigger  he  came 


THE  SILENT  DUEL  355 

on,  his  eyes  holding  those  of  the  Mexican. 
Jose's  pistol  hand  he  disregarded,  trusting  to 
his  perception  of  the  change,  the  instant's 
flash  of  decision,  that  would  light  Gonzalez's 
face  when  he  pulled  the  trigger.  He  knew 
that,  should  he  stumble  or  miss  his  footing 
and  so  give  advantage,  or  should  any  hesi- 
tation show  in  face  or  eye,  that  second  would 
the  Mexican's  bullet  fly  for  his  heart. 

It  was  Curtis's  intention  not  to  hurt  Jose 
unless  the  need  became  imperative.  There- 
fore he  did  not  fire,  but  came  silently  on,  and 
Gonzalez  stood,  silent  and  still,  behind  the 
sheltering  bush,  each  with  pistol  cocked  and 
held  at  steady  aim,  the  gaze  of  each  holding 
insistently  that  of  the  other.  It  was  a  silent 
duel  of  eyes,  of  wills  behind  the  eyes,  of  pur- 
poses behind  the  wills,  and  of  temperament 
behind  the  purposes. 

"  Will  he  never  shoot?  "  Conrad  asked  him- 
self once  and  again  as  he  approached. 

"  A  brave  man !  A  brave  man !  "  was  Jose's 
thought  as  he  watched  that  steady  advance, 
secure  in  his  own  advantage. 

Curtis  came  on  with  resolute  step  —  fifteen 
yards,  a  dozen  yards,  ten  yards.  Barely  a 
score  of  feet  separated  the  muzzles  of  the 
two  revolvers,  and  still  the  blue  eyes  and  the 


356        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

brown  stared  into  each  other  with  dauntless 
challenge. 

"  Why  does  n't  he  shoot  ?  "  thought  Jose. 
"  A  brave,  bold  man !  It  is  a  pity  to  kill 
him." 

"  A  moment  more,  and  I  '11  have  him !  " 
exulted  Conrad.  Fifteen  feet,  twelve  feet,  ten 
feet  —  still  the  space  between  them  lessened, 
and  still  the  silence  was  unbroken  and  their 
guns  at  unchanging  aim. 

Another  step,  and  Curtis  saw  Jose's  eyes 
waver ;  another,  and  heard  him  draw  a  little, 
gasping  breath.  He  saw  irresolution  flash 
across  the  Mexican's  face,  saw  his  finger  leave 
the  trigger,  his  right  arm  tremble,  and  drop 
to  his  side. 

Conrad  felt  cold  sweat  break  out  over  his 
body  and  there  was  a  loud  buzzing  in  his  ears. 
Yet  neither  in  face  nor  eyes  was  there  a  sign 
that  he  had  seen  any  change.  With  his  gaze 
still  fixed  on  the  other's  downcast  lids,  he 
moved  sidewise  around  the  bush,  and  stood 
beside  Gonzalez. 

"  Give  me  your  gun,  butt  first,"  he  com- 
manded in  a  low,  tense  voice.  Jose  raised  his 
eyes  to  meet  the  muzzle  of  the  gun  looking 
blankly  between  his  brows. 

"  You  can  take  it  if  you  like,  Don  Curtis," 


THE  SILENT  DUEL  357 

he  said  unsteadily.  "  I  am  not  going  to  shoot 
you.  Here  it  is." 

"  Now/'  said  Curtis,  pointing  both  guns  at 
Jose's  head,  "  tell  me  the  name  of  the  man 
who  hired  you  to  kill  me." 

The  Mexican  started  in  surprise.  He 
shrugged  his  shoulders,  looked  at  the  guns 
again,  shuffled  his  feet  uneasily.  "  Don  Cur- 
tis, how  can  I  ? "  he  exclaimed  in  a  reproach- 
ful tone.  "  You  should  not  ask  that  question. 
It  is  not  fair." 

"  Neither  was  it  fair  for  you  to  try  to  stick 
me  in  the  back  before  I  was  onto  your  game. 
So  we  're  even  now,  as  you  told  me  once  be- 
fore. You've  got  to  tell!  I  don't  want  to 
kill  you,  Jose;  but,  by  God!  I  will,  if  you 
don't  give  up  that  man's  name.  I  '11  give  you 
one  minute  to  think  it  over ;  and  if  you  don't 
speak  out  then,  I  '11  blow  your  head  off." 

Gonzalez  sent  one  searching  glance  into 
Conrad's  set  face,  and  dropped  sullen  eyes  to 
the  ground.  He  knew  there  was  only  one 
thing  to  do  if  he  wished  to  live.  For  half 
the  minute  he  stared  downward,  then  looked 
blankly  up  at  Curtis.  "  Fifteen  seconds  more," 
said  the  stern  voice.  His  face  worked,  his 
lips  opened  and  closed  again.  Then  he  seemed 
to  gather  himself  together  for  the  unwilling 


358        THE   DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

effort,  and  the  words  fairly  rushed  from  his 
mouth : 

"  It  is  your  friend,  Senor  Bancroft." 

"  What !  "  exclaimed  Curtis,  in  a  voice  that 
had  sunk  back  into  his  throat. 

Gonzalez  repeated  his  words.  Conrad 
leaned  forward,  white  with  anger,  and  thrust 
the  two  revolvers  close  to  the  other's  face. 
"  Jose,"  he  said  slowly,  in  hard,  sharp  tones, 
"  a  little  while  ago  a  man  told  me  that.  I 
shook  him  as  if  he  'd  been  a  dog  and  told 
him  that  he  lied.  I  ask  you  once  more,  the 
last  time,  who  is  it?  " 

Gonzalez  threw  back  his  head,  crossed  his 
arms,  and  looked  his  antagonist  angrily  in 
the  eye.  "  I  am  not  a  liar,  Don  Curtis,"  he 
said  proudly.  ''  I  may  kill  sometimes,  if  my 
patron  wishes.  But  I  do  not  lie."  He  placed 
the  muzzle  of  one  of  the  pistols  against  his 
heart.  "  I  have  told  you  the  truth,  Senor 
Conrad,"  he  went  on.  "  I  swear  to  you,  by 
the  Mother  of  God,  that  I  could  not  say  dif- 
ferent if  you  pulled  that  trigger  now." 

Conrad  trembled  and  his  white  face  went 
suddenly  crimson.  "  It  is  hard  to  believe," 
he  said ;  but  he  lowered  the  pistols.  "  I  know 
you  are  not  a  liar,  Jose,  and  you  seem  to  be 
speaking  the  truth.  You  understand,  don't 


THE  SILENT  DUEL  359 

you,"  he  added  in  a  tone  almost  apologetic, 
"  that  it  is  hard  for  me  to  believe  what  you 
say?" 

"  It  is  the  truth,  sefior." 

Curtis  put  his  own  pistol  away,  and  looked 
thoughtfully  at  the  other.  "  Jose,"  he  said, 
"  I  shall  have  to  think  about  this  thing.  In 
the  meantime  I  'm  going  to  keep  your  gun." 

"  As  you  like,  Don  Curtis,"  replied  Gon- 
zalez, indifferently.  "  I  shall  do  nothing  more. 
To-morrow  I  shall  ask  for  my  time." 

Conrad  eyed  him  keenly.  "  Well,  then, 
here 's  your  gun.  Go  on  to  Adobe  Springs 
and  do  the  work,  as  I  told  you.  To-morrow 
morning,  if  you  want  it,  you  can  have  your 
time." 

Jose  took  the  gun,  turned  the  cylinder,  and 
one  by  one  dropped  the  bullets  to  the  ground. 

"  It  is  ended,  Don  Curtis,"  he  said.  Mount- 
ing his  horse,  he  galloped  down  the  road. 


CHAPTER   XXII 

REFLECTION   AND   REACTION 

CONRAD  stood  still  and  stared  at  the 
Mexican's  lessening  figure,  galloping 
down  the  road.  Presently  he  walked 
across  to  his  mare,  stroked  her  nose,  and  said 
softly,  "  By  God !  Betty  B. !  "  For  some  min- 
utes he  gazed  at  her  abstractedly,  swearing 
under  his  breath,  and  now  and  then  mutter- 
ing, "  Aleck !  Aleck  Bancroft !  "  Coherent 
thought  was  not  yet  possible.  He  felt  that 
Jose  had  told  him  the  truth,  and  yet  he  could 
not  believe  it;  between  the  opposing  convic- 
tions his  mind  lay  dazed  and  inactive.  He 
mounted  and  turned  Brown  Betty's  nose 
toward  home,  riding  at  a  foot-pace  with  his 
head  down  and  his  attention  all  indrawn.  For 
a  mile  or  two  the  mare  plodded  on  quietly. 
At  last,  resenting  the  lack  of  the  companion- 
able attentions  her  master  was  accustomed  to 
bestow  upon  her  when  they  rode  alone,  she 
snorted  several  times  and  switched  her  tail 
vigorously,  flicking  his  legs.  There  was  no 


REFLECTION  AND  REACTION   361 

response.  She  whinnied  softly,  waited  a  little, 
and  tried  it  again.  Still  her  rider  was  silent. 
So  she  stopped,  lifted  her  head,  and  neighed 
loudly.  Conrad  aroused  himself.  '  What  is 
it,  Betty?"  he  said,  looking  searchingly  around 
the  plain.  Nothing  was  in  sight  save  its  usual 
silent  habitants.  He  dismounted,  and  exam- 
ined her  anxiously.  She  nipped  him  play- 
fully, nickered  gently,  and  poked  her  nose  into 
his  coat  pocket. 

"  Betty  B.,  you  're  a  rogue !  "  he  exclaimed, 
pulling  her  ear.  "  You  're  just  lonesome  and 
want  me  to  talk  to  you !  My,  but  you  're 
spoiled ! "  He  stroked  her  neck  affection- 
ately, then  suddenly  leaned  against  her,  buried 
his  face  in  her  mane,  and  a  single  deep  breath 
that  was  half  a  sob  shook  his  body.  "  Betty !  " 
he  muttered,  "  to  find  that  your  best  friend  is 
the  damnedest  villain  that  ever  went  unhung!" 

The  little  episode  with  the  mare  broke  up 
the  paralysis  that  staggering  surprise  had 
set  upon  both  thought  and  feeling.  As  he 
mounted  again  his  heart  was  hot  and  his 
mind  working  rapidly.  '  The  damned  vil- 
lain ! "  he  exclaimed  savagely,  "  to  be  pre- 
tending such  friendship  with  me  when  he 
knew  what  he  had  done ! " 

He  spurred  Brown  Betty  to  a  gallop.    The 


362        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

tyrannous  habit  of  mind  engendered  by  long- 
wonted  thought  and  desire  urged  him  on  to 
face  at  once  the  man  who  had  despoiled  his 
father  and  deprived  him  of  his  birthright. 
The  old  anger  and  hate  surged  over  him,  and 
his  pulses  beat  swift  and  hard.  For  a  while 
he  forgot  the  personality  of  the  enemy  he 
had  run  to  earth  at  last.  Through  his  set 
teeth  came  whispered  curses  of  hatred  and 
contempt,  and  his  tongue  clung  to  the  shame- 
ful epithets  he  longed  to  throw  in  the  fellow's 
face.  Not  fast  enough  could  he  ride  to  keep 
pace  with  his  desire.  Revenge,  so  long  fed 
with  hope  and  promise,  was  calling  to  be 
sated.  "  Faster,  Betty,  faster !  "  he  called  to 
the  mare,  spurring  her  on. 

But  the  very  violence  of  his  mood  presently 
induced  the  beginning  of  reaction.  He  re- 
membered who  it  was  that  he  was  riding  so 
fast  to  expose  and  strike  down.  "  Aleck ! 
Aleck  Bancroft ! "  he  murmured,  and  slowed 
the  mare's  racing  feet.  The  tenderness  and 
loyalty  of  friendship  raised  still,  small  voices 
in  his  heart.  Once  again  the  thing  staggered 
him.  It  seemed  incredible.  In  the  depths  of 
his  heart  was  conviction  that  Jose  Gonzalez 
had  told  him  the  truth.  But  could  he  go  to 
his  best  friend  with  such  a  charge,  to  taunt, 


REFLECTION  AND  REACTION   363 

insult,  and  challenge  to  death,  on  the  word  of 
a  Mexican  assassin?  The  idea  repelled  him. 
And  he  was  glad  of  the  misgiving,  unwilling 
to  believe  that  the  quest  he  had  followed  with 
such  eager  determination  was  leading  him  to 
the  door  of  Alexander  Bancroft.  "  I  ought 
—  I  ought  to  have  confirmation,  I  suppose," 
he  said  to  himself,  uncertainly.  And  so,  still 
undecided,  feeling  that  it  was  truth  and  yet 
unwilling  to  believe,  he  came  to  the  gate  of 
his  own  corral.  After  he  had  unsaddled  and 
stabled  Brown  Betty,  he  went  through  the 
kitchen  for  a  drink  of  water  from  the  big 
olla,  wrapped  in  a  wet  coffee  sack,  that  stood 
always  in  the  drying  wind  and  the  shade  of  a 
tree  beside  the  door. 

Mrs.  Peters  came  in  from  the  store-room 
with  a  panful  of  potatoes.  "  Hank  had  to 
go  to  White  Rock  this  morning,"  she  said, 
"  and  he  brought  some  mail  for  you.  It 's 
on  your  desk." 

Conrad  passed  through  the  series  of  rooms, 
opening  one  out  of  another,  to  the  front.  On 
his  desk  lay  some  papers  and  a  single  letter. 
"Littleton!"  he  exclaimed  as  he  hastily  tore  it 
open.  He  read: 

"  MY  DEAR  CURT  :  —  I  have  at  last  got  for  you 
the  information  we  've  been  searching  for  so  long." 


364        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

His  eyes  eagerly  rushed  over  the  next  few 
lines. 

"  I  have  satisfied  myself  that  the  man  we  've 
been  trailing  all  these  years  is  Alexander  Ban- 
croft, a  banker  and  prominent  man  in  New  Mex- 
ico, who  lives  at  Golden,  —  is  that  place  anywhere 
near  you  ?  —  and  for  a  number  of  years  has  been 
considered  one  of  the  most  solid,  upright,  and  in- 
fluential citizens  of  your  Territory." 

The  letter  dropped  from  Curtis's  fingers 
and  his  heart  gave  a  great  thump  that  sent 
the  blood  in  a  crimson  wave  over  his  face. 
"  My  God,  then,  it 's  true ! "  he  said  aloud, 
and  sat  for  a  moment  gazing  at  the  letter 
in  the  same  stupefied  way  he  had  looked  after 
Gonzalez's  retreating  figure.  A  grim  smile 
twisted  the  corners  of  his  mouth  as  he 
read  on. 

"  You  may  know  him.  Delafield's  history  as 
we've  got  it  now  makes  his  case  one  of  those 
curious  romances  of  detective  work  whose  equal 
could  hardly  be  found  in  fiction.  We  missed  long 
ago  the  clew  that  would  have  led  us  to  success, 
in  those  gaps  in  his  trail  we  never  tried  to  fill, 
because  we  came  upon  his  tracks  again  so  easily 
a  little  later.  While  working  on  another  case 
recently  I  had  occasion  to  look  through  an  omni- 
bus bill  passed  years  ago  by  an  Arizona  legislature. 


REFLECTION  AND  REACTION   365 

It  contained  an  astonishing  ruck  of  things,  and 
among  them  was  a  section  authorizing  William 
J.  Brown  to  change  his  name  to  Alexander  Ban- 
croft. I  knew  that  William  J.  Brown  was  one  of 
the  names  under  which  Delafield  had  once  traded 
in  mines  down  there,  and  that,  when  we  next 
found  him  .after  he  had  dropped  that  name,  it 
was  as  John  Smith,  when  he  went  down  into  old 
Mexico  with  John  Mason  Hardy.  This  name  of 
Bancroft,  sandwiched  in  there,  and  with  such  pains 
to  legalize  it,  when  we  had  found  no  track  of  it 
elsewhere,  made  me  prick  up  my  ears.  I  looked 
deeper  into  the  matter  and  found  that  he  had  used 
this  name  of  Bancroft  only  when  he  went  to  visit 
his  wife  and  daughter,  who  lived  most  of  the  time 
in  San  Francisco  or  Denver,  and  were  known  by 
that  name.  When  last  we  had  track  of  the  man, 
before  I  ran  across  Rutherford  Jenkins,  it  was, 
you  will  remember,  as  Henry  C.  Williams,  and 
then  we  lost  all  trace  of  him.  That  was  because 
he  went  then  on  a  visit  to  his  wife  and  daughter 
in  Denver  and  stayed  there  for  some  months.  He 
had  made  a  good  clean-up  about  that  time  and  in- 
creased it  by  some  lucky  trading  on  the  Denver 
stock  exchange.  Then  he  went  to  New  Mexico, 
kept  the  name  of  Bancroft,  engaged  in  other  busi- 
ness as  well  as  mining,  and  settled  down  to  be 
a  permanent  citizen. 

"  I  congratulate  you  upon  the  successful  termi- 
nation of  our  long  chase.     I  understand  Bancroft 


366        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

is  a  man  of  considerable  property  and  I  hope 
you  will  be  able  to  make  him  disgorge  some  of 
the  goods  he  stole  so  long  ago.  I  have  written 
this  much  hurriedly,  just  to  give  you  an  outline  of 
my  discoveries  at  once.  But  I  have  all  the  neces- 
sary proofs,  and  whenever  you  want  to  bring  the 
case  to  trial  they  are  at  your  service." 

Conrad  folded  the  letter  carefully,  and  put 
it  in  his  pocket.  He  sat  quite  still,  whisper- 
ing "Aleck!  Aleck  Bancroft!"  Presently 
his  face  went  red  again  and  starting  up  he 
hurried  into  the  corral  and  threw  the  saddle 
again  upon  Brown  Betty.  Outside  the  gate, 
scarcely  looking  which  way  he  went,  he  headed 
the  mare  toward  Golden  and  galloped  away, 
across  the  hills,  and  into  the  distance.  He 
never  knew  just  where  or  how  far  he  rode 
that  day.  Afterward  he  remembered  that 
sometimes  he  had  galloped  along  a  road  and 
sometimes  across  the  trackless  plain,  that 
sometimes  he  had  found  himself  urging  Betty 
to  her  utmost  speed  and  again  had  traversed 
miles  at  a  walk  or  had  stood  for  a  long  time 
stock-still. 

When  he  left  the  house  the  old  idea  that 
had  enthralled  him  so  long  was  clamoring 
in  his  heart.  That  may  have  been  why,  un- 
consciously, he  rode  at  first  down  the  road 


REFLECTION  AND  REACTION   367 

toward  Golden.  "  It  was  not  enough  for  him 
to  take  all  my  father  had,  life  as  well  as 
money,  and  to  make  me  drudge  through  my 
youth,  but  now  he  must  set  a  hired  killer  upon 
me  to  stick  me  in  the  back ! "  So  galloped 
his  angry  thought  as  Brown  Betty's  hoofs 
sped  over  the  ground  toward  Bancroft's  home. 
'  Why  did  n't  he  come  out  in  the  open  like  a 
man  and  tell  me  who  he  was,  and  let  us  fight 
it  out  on  the  square?  To  send  a  man  to  live 
under  my  roof,  and  hire  him  to  rope  me,  or 
stick  me,  or  shoot  me  from  ambush!  And 
to  pretend  to  be  my  good  friend  all  the  time! 
Coward !  Thief !  Murderer !  " 

Then,  somehow,  through  his  seething  mind, 
for  the  first  time  came  the  remembrance  of 
Lucy,  and  quickly  followed  the  idea  that  per- 
haps Bancroft  had  gone  about  it  in  this  secret 
way  to  save  her  from  all  knowledge  of  his 
disgraceful  past.  He  checked  Brown  Betty's 
gallop  to  a  walk.  "  He  knew  I  was  after  him, 
hot-foot,"  now  ran  Curtis's  thought,  "  and  he 
sure  had  the  right  to  head  me  off  if  he  could. 
But  he  ought  to  have  done  it  on  the  square !  " 
He  remembered  the  warnings  Bancroft  had 
given  him  about  Gonzalez  and  about  the 
danger  of  pursuing  Delafield,  and  chuckled 
unmirthfully.  "  I  reckon  he  was  squaring 


368        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

himself  to  his  own  conscience,"  he  said 
aloud. 

Conrad  looked  about  him  and  saw  that  he 
was  on  the  road  to  Golden.  Then  came  the 
flashing  idea  that  he  was  on  his  way  to  kill 
Lucy's  father.  Instantly  his  feeling  revolted. 
Whirling  the  mare's  head  he  struck  off  across 
the  plain  to  the  eastward  and  after  some  miles 
struck  the  road  to  Randall.  By  that  time  he 
was  pondering  painfully  the  matter  of  Lucy 
and  Homer.  That  evening,  without  doubt, 
Homer  would  come  home,  proud  and  happy, 
and  tell  him  that  he  and  Lucy  were  engaged. 
And  this  would  be  his  wedding  present  to 
the  girl  he  loved  and  the  brother  he  had  cared 
for  almost  since  babyhood  —  the  dead  body 
of  her  father! 

Then  came  pelting  back  the  memory  of  his 
own  wrongs,  and  Brown  Betty  was  sent  scud- 
ding down  the  road  as  remembrance  and  habit 
again  lashed  his  heart.  He  turned  about  and 
raced  back  along  the  road  toward  Golden, 
hot  with  the  old  memories  and  sore  with 
the  newly  discovered  duplicity  of  his  friend. 
"  Even  if  I  don't  kill  him,"  he  thought,  "  I  '11 
tell  him  what  he  is !  I  '11  throw  his  villainy 
and  his  cowardice  in  his  face !  I  '11  tell  him 
he  's  a  sneak  and  a  coward,  and  to  draw  if 


REFLECTION  AND  REACTION   369 

he  dares ! "  His  imagination  rushed  on 
through  the  scene  and  showed  him,  at  the 
end,  Bancroft's  bleeding  body  at  his  feet. 

With  a  shudder  he  wheeled  the  mare 
abruptly,  turned  from  the  road,  and  went 
galloping  across  the  plain  to  the  south.  He 
began  to  understand  that  he  could  not  kill 
Lucy's  father.  A  sudden  bright  recollection 
came  to  him  of  how  she  looked  that  Spring 
afternoon  when  she  and  Bancroft  had  stopped 
at  the  ranch;  how  she  turned  to  him  in  the 
wind,  holding  her  wide  hat  down  beside  her 
face,  and  said  gayly,  "  I  assure  you,  Mr.  Con- 
rad, the  most  superior  quality  of  father  to  be 
found  anywhere  in  the  United  States !  "  And 
Bancroft  seemed  as  fond  of  her  as  she  was  of 
him.  Yes ;  there  was  unusual  love  and  devo- 
tion between  them.  Brown  Betty  was  walk- 
ing more  slowly  now ;  and  after  a  while  Curtis 
realized  that  she  was  standing  still  in  the 
middle  of  the  plain  with  the  road  nowhere  in 
sight.  And  at  the  same  time  it  was  borne 
in  upon  him  that  he  did  not  wish  to  kill  Lucy's 
father,  that  the  idea  had  become  repugnant 
to  him. 

He  turned  to  seek  the  road,  saying  to  him- 
self, "What,  then,  shall  I  do?"  The  wish 
was  still  strong  within  him  to  make  Delafield 


370        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

suffer  punishment  for  his  misdeeds,  to  make 
him  atone  by  his  own  suffering  for  all  that 
Conrad  himself  had  suffered.  There  was  still 
the  law.  "  Homer  said  he  would  help  me  if 
I  wanted  to  go  at  it  that  way,"  thought 
Curtis.  That  recollection  helped  his  self- 
justification  for  a  moment,  then  his  thoughts 
went  on :  "  But  of  course  he  would  n't  do 
anything  of  the  sort  now ;  and  he  would  n't 
want  me  to,  either."  It  occurred  to  him  that 
such  a  course  as  that  would  bring  to  Lucy 
as  much  pain  as  would  her  father's  death. 
She  was  so  proud  of  him  and  believed  in  him 
so  thoroughly.  "  It  would  break  her  heart 
if  she  knew  all  this  about  his  past,"  he  de- 
cided. Homer,  too,  how  deeply  hurt  he  would 
be  to  have  Lucy's  father  disgraced  and  Lucy 
herself  made  utterly  wretched !  "  The  lad 
would  never  forgive  me,"  he  muttered.  Pres- 
ently he  was  telling  himself  that  Lucy  must 
never  be  made  to  suffer  the  shame  and  un- 
happiness  of  such  a  disclosure.  Nor  should 
Homer  ever  know  the  truth  about  Delafield's 
identity.  He  must  be  able  to  love  and  respect 
his  wife's  father. 

With  a  loving  smile  Conrad  recalled  some 
of  Lucy's  indignant  remarks  about  Baxter's 
dealings  with  the  Mexicans  of  the  Rio  Grande 


REFLECTION  AND  REACTION    371 

valley,  and  saw  again  her  winsome  look  as 
she  tossed  her  curly  head  and  her  brown 
eyes  sparkled.  Then  quickly  came  the  self- 
questioning:  What  would  she  think  of  him 
if  she  knew  the  purpose  that  had  been  ani- 
mating him  all  his  life?  Whether  it  was  her 
father  he  had  tracked  or  another,  how  hor- 
rified she  would  be  if  she  knew  she  had  made 
such  a  man  her  friend !  He  blushed  crimson, 
and  pricked  the  mare  to  a  faster  pace.  The 
old  longing  for  revenge,  the  old  belief  in  the 
rightfulness  of  his  course,  the  old  sense  of 
satisfaction  in  his  purpose  —  it  was  all  dying 
hard,  but  he  had  come  to  where  he  could  see 
it  as  it  looked  to  others.  He  began  to  feel 
ashamed. 

Still,  it  was  difficult  to  give  up  the  feeling 
that  Delafield  should  be  made  to  suffer  some 
sort  of  retaliation  for  the  wrongs  he  had  in- 
flicted upon  others.  Conrad  pondered  it  as 
he  rode  aimlessly  about,  still  smarting  under 
the  thought  of  Bancroft's  deception  during 
the  last  few  months.  He  might  go  to  the 
banker  and  have  it  all  out  by  word  of  mouth. 
But  as  he  considered  that  course  with  cool 
mind  he  reached  a  pretty  firm  conviction  that 
shots  from  one  or  the  other,  or  both,  would 
end  the  interview.  Bancroft  was  not  likely 


372        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

to  submit  tamely  to  insult  from  him.  And 
much  shame  and  sorrow  for  Lucy  and  Homer 
would  result.  He  did  not  want  them  to  suffer. 
His  head  lifted  and  his  lips  tightened.  "  I  '11 
give  up  the  whole  thing  before  I  '11  let  it  cloud 
their  happiness,"  he  said  aloud.  Then  he  fell 
to  thinking  why  Bancroft  had  tried  to  strike 
him  down  secretly. 

"  I  reckon  he  was  doing  his  best  to  head 
me  off  in  a  way  that  would  save  him  from 
disclosure  and  prevent  Lucy  from  knowing 
anything  about  it,"  he  thought.  "Well,  I 
can't  blame  him  for  wanting  to  keep  it  dark, 
at  this  stage  of  the  game.  But  —  why  did  n't 
he  come  and  tell  me,  like  a  man !  "  Suddenly 
he  began  to  recall  the  sort  of  things  about 
Delafield  and  his  own  expectations  that  he 
had  been  accustomed  to  say  to  Bancroft,  and 
smiled  grimly. 

"  Lord !  I  think  likely  I  've  given  him  some 
pretty  bad  minutes!  And  I  reckon  what  I 
said  did  n't  invite  his  confidence.  Good  God, 
what  a  life  the  man  must  have  lived  all  these 
years!  It  must  have  been  plain  hell  since 
he 's  known  I  was  on  his  track  and  has  had 
to  listen  to  the  things  I  Ve  said ! " 

Compassion  for  the  man  he  had  hounded 
and,  all  unknowingly,  had  so  often  reviled  to 


REFLECTION  AND  REACTION   373 

his  face,  began  to  soften  Curtis's  heart.  He 
thought  of  all  the  years  of  wandering,  the 
frequent  change  of  name,  the  ups  and  downs 
of  fortune,  the  devious  and  sometimes  crooked 
ways  through  which  he  had  traced  Delafield, 
and  again  he  exclaimed  aloud :  "  Good  God, 
what  a  life !  He  must  all  the  time  have  been 
wanting  to  get  back  where  he  could  be  settled 
and  respectable!  But  he  didn't  dare  try  it 
while  he  was  afraid  of  detection  and  punish- 
ment. And  finally  he  believed  he  'd  got  there, 
I  reckon,  and  was  preparing  to  be  happy 
with  his  daughter  —  and  then  I  came  along!  " 
Again  he  mused,  for  a  long  time,  while  the 
mare  took  her  own  pace.  At  last  he  lifted 
his  head  and  said  aloud: 

"  I  guess  he  's  had  his  share  of  punishment 
after  all;  and  I  've  been  responsible  for  a  lot 
of  it.  Sumner  L.  Delafield,  we  '11  call  it  quits !" 

Brown  Betty  was  standing  still  in  the  middle 
of  the  road.  The  sun  was  dropping  down  the 
west,  toward  masses  of  sparkling,  fleecy  white 
clouds  that  piled  the  horizon  high.  Ten  miles 
away  he  could  see  the  green  groves  of  Socorro 
Springs  and  the  white  glimmer  of  the  build- 
ings. He  drew  a  long  breath  and  looked 
alertly  about.  The  load  he  had  carried  so 
many  years  had  slipped  from  his  back.  No 


374        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

longer  had  he  any  desire  for  revenge,  and 
in  his  heart  glowed  compassion  rather  than 
hatred  for  the  man  he  had  tracked  with  such 
determination.  He  felt  a  curious  exhilara- 
tion as  he  sat  there  looking  about  him,  while 
the  mare  shifted  her  weight  from  one  foot  to 
another. 

"Well,  Betty  B.,"  he  said,  patting  her 
neck,  "  you  and  I  have  had  a  devil  of  a  time 
to-day,  have  n't  we,  old  girl  ?  But  we  've 
come  through  all  right,  thank  God!  And 
nobody  is  ever  going  to  know  a  word  about 
it,  Betty ;  so  don't  you  give  it  away.  We  're 
going  home  now,  and  you  shall  have  the  best 
supper  we  can  find." 

At  the  ranch  his  first  inquiry  was  for 
Homer.  The  young  man  had  returned  an 
hour  before.  Surprised  that  he  was  not  in 
beaming  evidence,  Curtis  went  in  search  of 
him  and  found  him  in  his  own  room,  bend- 
ing over  his  trunk,  his  belongings  scattered 
about  as  if  a  cyclone  had  been  swirling  within 
the  four  walls. 

;<  Why,  Homer,"  exclaimed  Curtis,  stopping 
in  astonishment  at  the  door,  "  what  are  you 
doing?" 

Homer  lifted  a  dismal  face.  "  I  'm  pack- 
ing up.  I  'm  going  away." 


REFLECTION  AND  REACTION   375 

"Why,  lad,  what's  the  matter?  I 
thought  —  "  Curtis  stopped,  hesitating  and 
embarrassed. 

Homer  energetically  jammed  some  books 
into  a  corner  of  the  trunk,  and  from  its 
depths  took  up  the  unfinished  sentence. 
'  Yes ;  so  did  I.  That  is  —  I  hoped.  But 
it  was  n't  so.  She  —  she  says  she  's  never 
going  to  leave  her  father  —  that  he  needs 
her  —  that  she  's  always  going  to  stay  with 
him." 

'  Yes,"  said  Curtis,  lamely ;  "  I  know  she  's 
very  devoted  to  him."  He  stopped;  Homer 
went  on  with  his  packing.  "I  —  I  suppose, 
lad,"  the  elder  brother  stumbled  on,  in  kindly 
tone,  "  it  hurts  now,  but  —  you  '11  get  over  it 
after  a  while."  There  was  silence  again  while 
Homer  threw  a  litter  of  neckties,  collars,  and 
handkerchiefs  into  his  trunk.  "  I  'd  like  you 
to  stay  here  all  Summer  with  me,"  Conrad 
went  on  presently,  "  but  if  you  think  you  'd 
be  more  comfortable  somewhere  else,  it 's  all 
right.  I  understand." 

Homer  looked  up.  "I  'm  going  to  Denver. 
I  Ve  got  a  classmate  up  there  whose  father 
I  know  will  give  me  a  job  till  college  opens 
next  Fall." 

Curtis  walked  out  into  the  corral  and  leaned 


376        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

upon  the  gate.  Would  there  be  a  chance  for 
him,  then?  Likely  not,  for  she  had  surely 
shown  more  favor  to  his  brother  than  to  him. 
But  he  would  try.  His  heart  rose  at  the  pos- 
sibility. Yes,  he  would  try.  He  looked  at 
his  brown,  sinewy  hands  and  thought  of 
Lucy's  little  white  ones  lying  in  them. 
''Thank  God,  they're  free  from  blood!"  he 
said  to  himself  with  solemn  gladness.  Then 
the  crimson  dyed  his  face.  Even  if  Lucy 
cared  for  him,  which  he  hardly  dared  to  hope, 
would  she  marry  a  man  who  had  so  long 
guided  his  life  by  such  purposes  as  he  had 
cherished?  "  But  I'll  tell  her,"  he  thought 
with  grim  determination,  "  just  how  bloody- 
minded  I  've  been.  It  will  likely  spoil  my 
chance  —  if  I  have  any  —  but  she  must  first 
know  just  what  I  am.  I  '11  tell  her  all  about 
it,  without  giving  a  hint  of  who  the  man  is 
that  I  've  followed.  And  after  that  —  well, 
I  '11  feel  that  I  've  been  square  about  it, 
anyway." 

The  sun  was  setting,  and  the  whole  sky 
was  ablaze  with  its  glory.  The  fleecy  white 
clouds  of  two  hours  before,  which  had 
mounted  higher  and  multiplied  themselves 
many  times,  had  become  mountains  of  glow- 
ing color,  masses  of  sea-shell  tints,  wide 


REFLECTION  AND  REACTION   377 

expanses  of  pink  and  pearly  gray,  hearts  and 
beckoning  hands  of  flame.  Curtis  gazed  at 
the  glowing  kaleidoscope  of  the  heavens,  feel- 
ing its  gorgeous  beauty  mingle  with  the 
thankfulness  that  filled  his  heart.  It  was 
good  to  be  done  with  all  those  old  ideas  and 
feelings  and  to  have  come  out  of  it  without 
ruining  anybody  else's  life. 

Through  the  crimson  and  purple  lights  and 
shadows  that  enveloped  the  plain  he  saw  Gon- 
zalez galloping  up  the  road,  a  fine,  graceful, 
centaur-like  figure. 

"Jose,"  said  Conrad  as  Gonzalez  entered 
the  corral,  and  his  tone  struck  the  Mexican 
as  being  unusually  gentle,  "  I  know  that  you 
spoke  the  truth  to  me  this  morning.  But 
what  you  told  me  shall  go  no  further.  Mr. 
Bancroft  shall  never  know  that  you  told  me, 
and  neither  he  nor  anybody  else  shall  suffer 
harm  because  of  it.  There  is  no  longer  any 
need  of  a  feud  between  you  and  me,  and  I 
wish  you  would  stay  and  work  for  me.  It 
is  n't  every  day  that  I  can  get  hold  of  a  cow- 
boy that  knows  enough  to  hit  the  ground  with 
his  hat  in  three  throws." 

Jose  smiled,  and  shook  his  head.  "  No, 
Don  Curtis.  I  like  you  much,  and  you  are 
a  very  brave  man.  You  are  a  braver  man 


378        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

than  I  am.  But  to-morrow  I  am  going  back 
to  Santa  Fe." 

"  Well,  then,  if  you  won't  stay  I  '11  give  you 
your  time  whenever  you  want  it.  But,  I  say, 
Jose,  why  don't  you  give  up  this  rattlesnake 
business  ?  You  're  on  the  level  every  other 
way ;  and  you  're  too  good  a  fellow  to  dis- 
credit all  your  race  with  this  sort  of  work 
when  you  could  be  a  first-class  cowboy  if 
you  wanted  to." 

The  Mexican  looked  at  him  with  a  wonder- 
ing smile,  shook  his  head,  and  went  on  into 
the  corral.  Conrad  strolled  to  the  little  porch 
at  his  front  door,  stood  there  a  moment  watch- 
ing the  sunset  colors ;  then,  with  his  head  in 
the  air,  went  inside  and  sat  down  at  his  desk. 
He  began  a  letter  to  Rutherford  Jenkins : 

"  I  have  found  that  you  told  me  the  truth  in  that 
interview  we  had  in  your  room  in  the  hotel  at 
Albuquerque  some  months  ago.  I  do  not  know  by 
what  mysterious  dispensation  of  Providence  this 
strange  thing  happened,  but  I  acknowledge  now 
that  it  was  the  truth.  I  still  maintain,  however, 
that  my  final  remark  to  you  on  that  occasion  was 
absolutely  correct. 

"  I  suppose  you  have  been  using  this  informa- 
tion about  Mr.  Bancroft's  previous  life  to  black- 
mail him.  I  advise  you  to  stop  it  and  to  let  him 


REFLECTION  AND  REACTION   379 

alone  hereafter.  If  you  don't,  I  tell  you  right  now 
that  you  will  surely  wish  you  had.  I  shall  take 
pains  to  find  out  whether  or  not  you  heed  my  warn- 
ing, and  if  you  don't  I  promise  you  that  you  will 
soon  be  able  to  sympathize  with  a  skunk  after  a 
cowboy  has  thrown  at  it  a  can  of  oil  and  a  blaz- 
ing stick.  Yours  truly, 

"  CURTIS  CONRAD." 


CHAPTER   XXIII 

LOVE  TO   THE   RESCUE 

A  CLERK  brought  the  morning  mail, 
and  as  Alexander  Bancroft  took  the 
handful  of  letters,  his  eye  caught 
the  handwriting  of  Rutherford  Jenkins. 
Apprehension  seized  him.  Had  that  crea- 
ture found  some  new  screw  he  could  turn? 
His  hand  trembled  as  he  tore  open  the  en- 
velope. For  a  moment  he  felt  distinct  relief 
when  he  found  nothing  more  than  a  demand 
for  additional  money.  Jenkins  reminded  him 
that  the  first  of  August  was  approaching,  and 
added  that  he  was  obliged  to  ask  for  double 
the  amount  he  had  previously  received  on  the 
first  of  the  month.  The  feeling  of  thankful- 
ness that  the  letter  contained  nothing  worse 
passed  quickly,  as  he  realized  that  he  would 
be  afraid  to  refuse  the  demand,  that  he  would 
not  dare  to  refuse  anything  Jenkins  might 
ask.  The  full  weight  of  his  chains  was  upon 
him,  and  he  swore  between  set  teeth  as  he 
tore  the  letter  angrily  into  bits  and  dashed 


LOVE  TO  THE  RESCUE         381 

them  into  the  waste-basket.  Impotent  rebel- 
lion was  still  smouldering  in  his  eyes  when 
a  knock  came  at  his  door  and  Dellmey  Baxter 
entered.  The  Congressman's  round,  smooth 
face  was  beaming  and  his  fat  hand  grasped 
Bancroft's  with  hearty  greeting.  But  the 
droop  of  his  left  eyelid  was  marked  and  his 
gray  eyes  were  cold  and  hard.  They  had  a 
prolonged  conference  about  the  various  en- 
terprises in  which  they  were  jointly  interested, 
and  about  the  progress  and  prospects  of  Bax- 
ter's campaign  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
Territory,  where  Bancroft  was  his  chief 
lieutenant. 

"  I  tell  you,  Aleck,  you  're  handling  it  fine," 
said  Baxter  finally,  with  friendly  enthusiasm. 
'  You  're  bringing  Silverside  and  the  whole 
south  right  into  line  in  great  shape !  I  'm 
free  to  say,  Aleck,  that  you  're  doing  better 
for  me  than  I  could  do  for  myself.  You  have 
a  remarkable  knack  for  handling  people,  and 
everybody  has  confidence  in  you.  We  've  got 
the  party  in  this  Territory  where  we  want 
it  now,  and  if  I  decide  to  quit  Congress 
after  another  term  or  two,  as  it 's  likely  I 
shall,  I  '11  see  to  it,  Aleck,  that  you  step 
into  my  shoes  if  you  want  to."  He  went 
on  to  ask  what  certain  of  his  supporters 


382        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

and  his  opponents  were  doing,  and  presently 
inquired : 

"  And  your  young  friend  Conrad  —  does  he 
still  think  I  have  horns  and  hoofs  ?  He  came 
to  see  me  in  Santa  Fe  recently,  and  apolo- 
gized for  having  accused  me  of  being  at  the 
bottom  of  that  Mexican's  attack  on  him. 
From  what  he  said  to  me,"  the  Congressman 
went  on,  regarding  Bancroft  attentively,  "  I 
think  it 's  likely  the  greaser  will  get  the  worst 
of  it  if  he  keeps  up  that  racket." 

The  banker  moved  uneasily,  then  took 
cigars  from  the  box  on  top  of  his  desk. 
"  By  the  way,  Aleck,"  said  Baxter  carelessly 
between  whiffs  of  smoke,  "  you  Ve  been 
around  this  Territory  considerably  and  mixed 
with  mining  men  a  good  deal."  His  cold 
eyes  were  watching  his  companion  from 
under  their  shaggy  brows.  "  Do  you  re- 
member ever  running  across  a  chap  named 
Delafield?" 

The  time  had  been  when  Bancroft  could 
hear  that  name  without  the  quiver  of  a  lash 
or  the  tremble  of  a  nerve.  But  those  days 
of  cool  self-control  and  impassive  seeming 
had  gone  by.  For  many  weeks  he  had 
been  on  the  rack  of  constant  apprehension, 
the  nervous  strain  of  conflicting  emotions 


LOVE  TO  THE  RESCUE         383 

concerning  Conrad  had  been  great,  and  re- 
cently the  fear  of  sudden  exposure  had  grown 
into  a  secret,  abiding  terror.  He  started, 
dropped  his  cigar,  and  his  face  paled. 

"Delafield?"  he  repeated  in  a  low  voice. 
"  I  do  not  remember  the  name  —  and  I  have 
a  pretty  good  memory  for  names,  too."  The 
desire  seized  him  to  know  whether  Baxter 
was  speaking  out  of  knowledge  or  ignorance. 
'What  about  him?"  he  went  on.  "Is  he 
supposed  to  be  living  here?" 

"  I  don't  know  much  about  it,"  Baxter  re- 
joined, "  but  I  believe  the  people  who  are  try- 
ing to  locate  him  make  the  guess  that  he  is. 
A  party  asked  me  about  him  not  long  ago, 
but  I  was  n't  able  to  place  the  name,  although 
it  has  a  familiar  sound.  I  told  him  it  was  n't 
any  use  looking  for  his  man  under  that  name 
—  it 's  too  easy  to  pick  up  a  new  one  out  here 
for  anybody  to  keep  an  old  one  that 's  got 
dirty." 

When  the  door  closed  upon  the  portly  figure 
and  cherubic  smile  of  the  Congressman,  Ban- 
croft sat  still  and  stared  dully  at  the  wall. 
"  Dell  knows,"  was  the  conviction  that  had 
gone  straight  to  his  wretched  heart.  "  Dell 
knows.  He  knows  the  whole  story.  And 
now  I  've  got  to  do  whatever  he  says." 


384        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

Apprehension  leaped  quickly  forward.  If  Bax- 
ter knew,  was  the  story  out  ?  Was  it  already 
going  from  mouth  to  mouth  ?  Second  thought 
brought  reassurance.  No;  for  in  that  case 
Baxter  would  not  have  so  discreetly  veiled 
his  hint.  But  how  had  he  found  out?  Could 
Jenkins  —  no,  not  likely,  for  Jenkins  was  mak- 
ing too  good  a  thing  out  of  it  as  a  secret. 
Baxter  said  Conrad  had  been  to  see  him  — 
then  did  Curtis  know  by  this  time?  His  heart 
took  quick  alarm,  and  he  had  a  moment  of 
desperation.  Then  he  recalled  the  young 
man's  repeated  declaration  that  he  meant  to 
lose  no  time  in  facing  Delafield  after  learn- 
ing the  man's  identity.  He  soon  decided  that 
a  little  time  was  still  left  to  him  before  that 
encounter  could  take  place  and  —  Gonzalez 
was  yet  at  the  ranch.  Doubtless  Conrad  had 
talked  with  Baxter  about  the  case,  perhaps 
told  him  of  his  own  search  and  asked  for 
information  about  the  men  he  suspected. 
Finally,  knowing  well  the  Congressman's 
mental  habits,  he  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
Baxter  had  put  things  together  and  made  a 
shrewd  guess. 

"  But  he  knows,  all  right,"  Bancroft  owned 
to  himself  in  impotent  anger,  "  and  that  means 
another  chain  on  me."  Another  obstacle  had 


LOVE  TO  THE  RESCUE         385 

risen  in  his  path  that  would  have  to  be  over- 
come, one  way  or  another,  before  he  could 
reach  that  longed-for  security.  A  little  be- 
fore, safety  had  seemed  so  near,  and  now  it 
was  further  away  than  ever !  He  should  have 
to  fight  for  it,  that  was  plain  —  and  fight  he 
would,  to  the  last  inch,  Conrad  and  Jenkins 
and  Baxter.  They  had  pushed  him  to  the 
wall,  but  that  should  not  be  the  end.  He 
would  not  let  them  wreck  everything  if  — 
no  matter  now  what  he  might  have  to  do  to 
protect  himself. 

He  spent  an  anxious  forenoon,  unable  to 
keep  his  mind  off  his  own  troubles  and  im- 
pending dangers,  thinking  and  scheming,  try- 
ing to  work  out  effective  means  of  defence 
and  counter-attack.  When  he  left  the  bank 
for  luncheon  at  home,  it  was  with  a  lively 
sense  of  how  restful  and  pleasing  he  should 
find  its  atmosphere  of  love,  respect,  and  con- 
fidence. He  bought  a  box  of  candy  for  Lucy 
and  a  magazine  for  Louise,  and  hastened  up 
the  hill. 

Never  before  had  home  seemed  to  him  so 
delightful.  Lucy  was  gay  of  spirit,  piquant, 
rosy  of  cheek  and  bright  of  eye,  lovingly 
solicitous  for  his  comfort.  Louise  was  paler 
than  usual,  with  a  touch  of  wistfulness  in 

25 


386        THE   DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

her  manner.  Lucy  explained  that  she  had  a 
bad  headache,  and  they  agreed  that  it  was 
probably  due  to  the  day's  peculiar  atmospheric 
conditions.  It  was  hot  and  still ;  a  thin,  gray, 
luminous  haze  veiled  the  sky  and  made  the 
sunshine,  usually  clear  and  white,  look  palely 
yellow;  the  air  was  charged  with  electricity, 
whose  jangling  effect  upon  the  nerves  only 
the  soundest  could  withstand.  Louise  said 
she  felt  it  acutely.  As  always,  she  was 
gentle  and  sympathetic,  and  Bancroft  felt 
her  influence  at  once.  Her  presence  never 
failed  to  soothe,  tranquillize,  and  encourage 
him. 

She  saw  the  anxiety  in  his  eyes,  and  at 
once  divined  a  new  cause  for  trouble.  With 
renewed  alarm  and  indignation  in  her  heart 
her  thoughts  turned  to  Conrad.  Had  there 
been  some  new  development?  The  fires  of 
love  and  solicitude  for  her  friend  and  of 
hatred  for  his  enemy  were  burning  brightly 
in  her  secret  thoughts  and  shone  now  and 
then  in  her  eyes.  Bancroft  caught  their  glow, 
and  his  heart  rose  to  be  warmed  in  it.  What 
a  sweet  woman  she  was,  how  adorable !  His 
arms  ached  with  the  longing  to  enfold  her 
and  press  her  dearness  to  his  breast.  But 
no !  —  with  such  dangers  thickening  about 


LOVE  TO  THE  RESCUE          387 

him,  he  must  not  think  of  it.  It  angered  him 
the  more  that  he  must  thus  repress  the  feeling 
which  was  struggling  to  make  itself  under- 
stood, which  he  felt  certain  she  would  wel- 
come. For  half  an  hour  after  luncheon  they 
lingered  on  the  veranda.  As  if  drawn  irre- 
sistibly by  secret  cords  of  feeling,  Bancroft 
and  Miss  Dent  kept  constantly  near  each 
other;  once,  when  she  accidentally  touched 
his  hand,  his  fingers  closed  quickly  upon  hers 
in  a  moment's  warm  grasp. 

After  he  had  gone,  Louise  walked  rest- 
lessly up  and  down,  her  nerves  strung  to  the 
highest  tension  by  her  love  and  anxiety  for 
Bancroft  and  her  hatred  of  Conrad.  Her 
headache  grew  rapidly  worse,  and  her  heart 
was  beating  like  a  trip-hammer.  She  and 
Lucy  agreed  that  the  electrical  condition  of 
the  atmosphere  had  become  more  trying.  The 
sunshine,  too,  was  more  dingily  yellowish. 
They  noticed  that  heavy,  dark  clouds,  like 
huge,  sleeping  beasts,  were  lying  behind  the 
summits  of  the  Mogollon  Mountains. 

"  My  head  is  throbbing  so  I  can  hardly 
see,"  said  Louise  finally,  "  and  I  think  I  '11 
go  to  my  room,  pull  down  the  shades,  and 
lie  down  for  a  while.  No;  thank  you,  dear, 
you  can't  do  anything.  Just  leave  me  alone 


388        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

for  an  hour  or  two  in  the  quiet  and  the 
dark." 

Lucy  sat  on  the  veranda  with  the  maga- 
zine and  the  box  of  candy  her  father  had 
brought ;  but  one  lay  unopened  in  her  lap  and 
the  other  untouched  on  the  table  beside  her, 
while  her  eyes  wandered  across  the  tree- 
embowered  streets  of  the  town  and  far  over 
the  plain,  where,  beyond  the  horizon,  were 
the  green  groves  of  the  Socorro  Springs 
ranch. 

"  I  Ve  got  to  do  it,"  she  whispered  to 
herself,  decision  in  her  wrinkling  brow. 
"  There 's  no  other  way,  and  I  must.  Daddy 
is  looking  wretched  —  I  Ve  never  seen  him 
look  so  anxious  and  disturbed  as  he  does 
to-day.  I  Ve  got  to  do  it,  right  away." 

She  had  not  seen  Curtis  Conrad  since  the 
barbecue.  Daily  had  she  watched  for  him, 
hoping  always  to  see  him  climbing  the  hill, 
longing  greatly  to  look  upon  his  face,  and 
feeling  that  she  must  reveal  her  secret  and 
so  put  an  end,  as  she  firmly  believed  she 
could,  to  her  father's  trouble.  But  he  came 
not;  instead,  Homer's  visits  increased  in 
length  and  frequency,  and  she,  still  hurt  and 
angered  by  the  memory  of  Curtis's  atten- 
tions to  Mrs.  Ned  Castleton  at  the  barbecue, 


LOVE  TO  THE  RESCUE         389 

recklessly  continued  her  flirtation  with  Homer, 
plunging  him  more  and  more  deeply  in  love. 
She  did  all  this  without  thought  of  what  was 
going  on  in  Homer's  breast,  wishing  only  to 
dull  the  pain  in  her  own  aching  heart.  Fi- 
nally, when  she  realized  what  was  happening, 
she  changed  her  demeanor  in  sudden  girl- 
panic,  only  to  precipitate  the  young  man's 
proposal,  by  which  she  had  been  both  sur- 
prised and  vexed. 

She  was  quite  sure,  by  this  time,  that  Cur- 
tis Conrad  did  not  care  for  her  at  all,  and 
she  had  ceased  expecting  him  to  come  to  their 
house.  Yet  she  never  went  out  upon  the 
veranda  without  letting  her  eyes  wander  wish- 
fully down  the  street.  They  were  there  now, 
scanning  the  long,  steep  hill.  But  they  saw 
only  a  little,  bare-legged  Mexican  boy  toiling 
slowly  up  the  grade.  No,  she  decided,  only 
one  thing  was  left  for  her  to  do:  she  would 
have  to  write  and  ask  him  to  come  and  see 
her.  Her  heart  rebelled  at  first,  and  she  un- 
consciously tossed  her  head  and  her  eyes 
flashed.  "  But  it 's  for  daddy,"  she  presently 
told  herself,  "  and  there  's  no  other  way.  I  Ve 
got  to  do  it."  Of  course,  it  would  be  a  humil- 
iation ;  but  so  was  the  whole  hateful  business, 
and  what  was  one  little  thing  more  or  less? 


390        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

Looking  toward  the  street  again  she  saw 
that  the  little  Mexican  lad  was  coming  to  her 
gate.  His  baggy,  ragged  overalls  were  held 
by  a  single  strap  over  his  shoulder,  and  his 
small,  brown  face,  under  his  miniature,  torn 
sombrero,  was  hot  and  dirty.  He  peered  at 
her  through  the  palings,  and  she  exclaimed, 
"Why,  it's  little  Pablo  Melgares!"  She 
went  down  to  the  gate,  saying  in  Spanish, 
"Do  you  want  anything,  Pablo?" 

Gravely  and  silently  he  gave  her  a  letter 
he  had  been  carrying  in  his  hat.  Although 
she  had  seen  the  handwriting  but  once  before, 
her  heart  leaped  and  a  delicious  thrill  ran 
through  her  veins  as  she  read  the  address. 

:<  Is  there  an  answer?  "  she  asked,  tremu- 
lously. 

"  Si,  senorita"  said  the  boy. 

'  Then  you  sit  down  here  on  the  steps  and 
eat  candy  until  I  come  back,"  she  said  as  she 
poured  the  contents  of  her  box  into  the  child's 
sombrero. 

She  ran  lightly  up  the  stairs  to  her  room 
and  closed  the  door  before  opening  the  note. 
It  said  only: 

"  Will  you  go  to  ride  with  me  this  afternoon  up 
the  canyon  ?  I  have  something  particular  I  want  to 


LOVE  TO  THE   RESCUE          391 

say.     Please  send  me  word  by  the  boy  if  I  may 
come  up  at  once." 

She  devoured  it  with  shining  eyes,  and 
pressed  it  to  her  face,  her  lips,  her  heart. 
Her  woman's  instinct  divined  what  the  "some- 
thing particular  "  must  be,  and  she  laughed 
softly  and  joyously,  while  the  color  mounted 
to  her  brow.  But  presently,  as  she  donned 
her  riding  habit,  her  look  grew  serious  and 
grave.  For  a  few  minutes  she  had  forgotten 
what  it  was  she  had  to  do. 

"  I  must  tell  him,"  she  thought,  "  and  then 
that  will  be  the  end  of  everything."  The 
brown  eyes  filled  with  tears,  and  she  choked 
back  a  little  sob.  "  But  I  've  got  to  do  it," 
she  repeated  with  determination.  "  He  won't 
love  me  then,  but  poor  daddy  will  be  safe. 
And  I  would  n't  marry  him  anyway,  because 
I  'm  not  going  to  marry  anybody.  I  won't 
let  him  say  anything  to  me  about  —  about 
anything;  I  '11  tell  him  about  daddy  before  he 
has  a  chance.  But  I  won't  have  to  tell  him 
right  away  —  when  we  are  coming  back, 
maybe."  Her  fingers  were  busy  with  her 
collar  in  front  of  the  mirror.  f<  Dear  me, 
I  'm  dreadfully  tanned !  But  he  told  me  once 
he  liked  the  healthy  brown  skins  the  girls  all 


392        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

get  down  here.  No ;  I  shall  not  let  him  have 
the  least  idea  that  I  care  anything  about  him ; 
but  — "  and  the  smiles  and  dimples  were 
chasing  each  other  across  her  face  as  she 
started  down  the  stairs.  On  her  way  she 
slipped  softly  into  Miss  Dent's  darkened  room. 
Louise  was  awake,  and  Lucy  stood  beside  her 
bed,  stroking  her  forehead  with  affectionate 
fingers. 

"  Poor  Dearie !  Can't  I  do  something  for 
you  before  I  go  out?  Do  you  think  you  can 
sleep?  Then  you  won't  mind  my  going,  will 
you?  Mr.  Conrad  has  come  to  take  me  to 
ride.  We  are  going  up  the  canyon.  Was  n't 
it  jolly  of  him  to  think  of  it  this  stupid,  yel- 
low afternoon  ?  " 

'  Yes ;  certainly,  dear,  I  'm  glad  you  're 
going,  and  I  hope  you  '11  have  a  delightful 
ride.  Don  Homer  is  always  so  thoughtful." 

Lucy  was  settling  her  hat  in  front  of  the 
mirror.  "  Oh,  it  is  n't  Don  Homer !  It 's  his 
brother." 

Miss  Dent  started  up.  "  Curtis  Conrad ! 
You  're  not  going  with  him !  " 

Lucy  looked  at  her  with  surprise.  "  Why, 
yes,  Dearie.  Why  not?" 

"  Lucy,  darling !    You  must  not  go ! " 

Louise  was  sitting  up  now,  her  hands  at 


LOVE  TO  THE  RESCUE         393 

her  temples.  Lucy  bent  over  her  with  an 
arm  about  her  neck.  '  You  surprise  me  very 
much,  Dearie.  I  thought  you  liked  him." 

'  Yes ;  of  course.  But  you  must  not  go 
with  him  this  afternoon.  It  will  not  do." 

The  girl  sat  down  on  the  bed  beside  her. 
"  But  I  Ve  said  I  would,  Dearie,  and  he 's 
already  here,  waiting  for  me  with  the  horses. 
And  I  must  go,  Dearie.  It  would  be  awfully 
rude  and  horrid  to  try  to  get  out  of  it 
now." 

Sudden  apprehension  filled  Miss  Dent's 
mind.  It  was  not  like  Lucy  to  hold  so  per- 
sistently to  anything  that  was  against  her 
wish.  Her  intense  feeling  against  Curtis 
Conrad  swept  over  her  excited,  tingling  nerves 
and  filled  her  mind  with  the  conviction  that 
she  must  keep  Lucy  away  from  him.  Things 
jigged  and  swam  before  her  eyes,  as  her 
thoughts  whirled  dizzily  through  her  brain. 
;<  Lucy,  dear  child !  "  she  exclaimed,  "  I  wish 
you  would  not  go.  Indeed,  you  must  not 
go!" 

Lucy  arose,  clad  in  a  new  womanly  dignity 
that  sent  a  half-realized  dismay  through  the 
turmoil  of  Miss  Dent's  mind.  Vaguely,  with 
an  aching  sense  of  loss,  she  felt  that  Lucy 
had  become  a  woman  who  would  henceforth 


394        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

direct  her  life  for  herself.  With  her  hands 
holding  her  throbbing  head,  through  which 
excruciating  pains  were  darting,  Louise  strove 
to  steady  her  thoughts. 

"  I  don't  understand,"  said  Lucy,  gently, 
"  why  you  speak  in  this  way,  or  why  you 
wish  me  to  be  rude  to  Mr.  Conrad.  If  there 
is  any  good  reason  why  I  should  not  go  to 
ride  with  him  this  afternoon,  and  you  will  tell 
me  what  it  is,  so  that  I  can  judge  for  myself, 
I  can  beg  him  to  excuse  me,  because  you  are 
not  well  —  and  —  ask  him  to  stay  to  dinner 
instead." 

New  alarm  seized  Miss  Dent.  In  her  ex- 
citement she  tried  to  rise,  only  to  drop  back 
trembling  upon  the  bed.  For  the  moment  her 
one  thought  was  that  this  man  must  be  kept 
out  of  the  house.  "  Lucy,"  she  pleaded,  de- 
spair in  her  voice,  "  you  do  not  understand. 
He  is  not  our  friend  now.  He  is  your  father's 
enemy  —  and  is  trying  to  kill  him." 

She  stopped  in  sudden  panic  at  having  said 
so  much,  and  Lucy  started  back  amazed. 

"  Oh,  Dearie  —  you  don't  know,  do  you  — 
and  daddy  —  you  don't  know  about  daddy  ?  " 

Louise  looked  up,  her  face  white  and 
drawn,  astonishment  veiling  the  pain  in  her 
eyes. 


LOVE  TO  THE  RESCUE         395 

"  Lucy,  Lucy !  Do  you  know  —  about  your 
father  —  and  this  man  —  and  yet  you  will  go 
with  him  ?  " 

Lucy's  curly  head  was  high  as  she  answered 
deliberately :  "  Yes,  Dearie !  I  am  going  so 
that  I  can  save  daddy  from  any  further 
trouble.  I  shall  tell  Mr.  Conrad  who  daddy 
is." 

Miss  Dent  gasped  and  her  mouth  worked 
for  a  moment  before  she  could  speak.  "  Oh, 
child,  you  don't  know  what  you  are  doing! 
I  beg  of  you,  Lucy,  don't  go  —  don't  do  it! 
If  you  love  me,  if  you  love  your  father,  don't 
tell  him!  He  will  kill  — " 

The  girl  drew  herself  up  proudly.  :<  In- 
deed, Dearie,  you  don't  know  Curtis  Conrad 
as  well  as  I  do,  if  you  think  he  will  do  the 
least  thing  to  hurt  daddy,  after  he  knows. 
That 's  why  I  'm  going  to  tell  him  —  to  save 
daddy.  I  love  him,  Dearie,  but  I  shall  not 
let  him  know  that  I  do.  And  I  want  to  hear 
him  say,  just  once,  that  he  loves  me  —  and 
then  I  shall  tell  him  —  who  I  am  and  who 
daddy  is."  She  turned  half  away,  then  rushed 
back  to  throw  her  arms  around  her  friend's 
neck.  "  Darling  Dearie,  I  know  I  am  hurt- 
ing you !  But  won't  you  trust  me  about  this, 
and  love  me  just  the  same?  I  know  I  am 


396        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

doing  the  best  thing  for  daddy  —  and  —  after 
to-day,  I  'm  never  going  to  see  Curtis  Conrad 
again ! " 

Louise  fell  back,  exhausted,  as  Lucy  kissed 
her  forehead  and  ran  from  the  room. 


CHAPTER   XXIV, 

THE   HEAVENS   OPEN 

CONRAD  and  Lucy  rode  along  a  street 
skirting  the  brow  of  the  mesa  until 
the  houses  of  the  town  in  the  valley 
below  became  few  and  straggling.  Down  the 
last  roadway  cut  across  the  sides  of  the 
canyon  they  descended  to  the  bottom  of  the 
ravine.  Thence  upward  it  was  so  narrow 
that  the  bed  of  the  creek  and  the  road  left 
only  scant  margins  of  rocky  soil.  In  these 
grew  cottonwoods,  willows,  and  a  few  other 
trees,  whose  overarching  branches  made  a 
green  and  pleasant  vista.  The  creek  wound 
crookedly  down  the  valley,  frequently  cross- 
ing the  road,  while  here  and  there  the  walls 
of  the  gulch  drew  so  close  together  that 
the  track  was  forced  into  the  bed  of  the 
stream.  Notwithstanding  the  recent  rains, 
the  water  was  too  shallow  to  reach  above 
their  horses'  knees. 

The  way  was  quite  deserted,  and  after  leav- 
ing the  town  they  saw  no  other  travellers.    A 


398        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

cool,  damp  wind  came  down  the  ravine  and 
Lucy  took  off  her  hat  and  let  it  toss  back  her 
brown  curls.  They  had  grown  longer  since 
the  early  Spring,  and  now  clustered  in  soft 
rings  around  her  ears  and  neck.  A  touch 
of  sadness  lingered  upon  her  spirits,  because 
of  the  distressing  scene  with  Miss  Dent.  It 
was  the  first  difference  that  had  ever  arisen 
between  them.  A  poignant  longing  filled  her 
heart,  also,  because  this  was  to  be  her  final 
interview  with  the  man  she  loved.  The  pain- 
ful duty  she  had  set  herself  filled  the  back- 
ground of  her  consciousness  and  laid  upon 
her  manner  an  unusual  reserve. 

But  these  more  sombre  emotions  mingled 
with  the  gladness  of  the  knowledge  that  she 
was  beloved,  and  all  combined  to  invest  her 
with  a  new  maturity  of  womanliness,  a  sweet 
dignity  that  sent  filtering  through  Conrad's 
eager  love  a  sensation  of  wonder  and  rever- 
ence. It  could  not  be  possible  that  this  lovely, 
this  adorable  being  would  receive  his  homage, 
would  consent  to  love  him!  But  he  would 
try.  She  was  willing  to  ride  with  him,  and 
there  was  hope  in  that.  And,  yes,  he  would 
not  forget  that  he  must  tell  her  about  his 
unworthy  life  —  he  must  tell  her  even  before 
he  asked  her  to  marry  him.  But  oh,  how 


THE  HEAVENS  OPEN  399 

beautiful  she  was,  how  sweet!  Every  move- 
ment of  her  head,  her  arm,  her  body,  every 
twinkling  smile,  every  fleeting  dimple,  poured 
fresh  wine  into  his  blood.  A  torrent  of  love 
and  admiration  was  sweeping  through  him, 
and  from  it  were  constantly  breaking  off  and 
flowing  over  their  friendly  talk  little  cascades 
of  compliment,  of  admiring  speech,  of  sen- 
tences glowing  with  hints  of  his  feeling. 

But  Lucy  quickly  caught  the  trend  of  every 
one  and  turned  it  back  with  laughing  retort 
and  merry  speech.  He  could  not  get  within 
her  guard,  and  every  deft  turn  of  her  jesting, 
foiling  replies  made  him  only  the  more  eager. 
He  forgot  that  he  was  going  to  make  con- 
fession, forgot  to  watch  the  dark  clouds  that 
were  rising  above  the  mountain  tops,  forgot 
everything  but  this  alluring  creature,  who 
grew  more  alluring  every  moment,  and  yet 
would  not  let  him  loose  the  torrents  of  loving 
speech.  And  Lucy,  in  the  sweet  excitement 
of  letting  him  say  a  little,  and  again  a  little, 
and  then  a  little  more,  yet  keeping  up  her 
guard  and  never  letting  him  reach  the  danger 
point,  Lucy  also  forgot  what  she  had  meant 
to  keep  constantly  in  mind.  Now  and  then 
duty  put  out  a  warning  hand.  But  —  the  ex- 
hilaration of  the  present  moment,  the  precious 


400        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

consciousness  of  his  love,  the  thrilling  pleas- 
ure of  this  Cupid's  dance  —  she  could  not  give 
it  up  so  quickly.  Presently  she  would  tell 
him. 

Thus  has  it  been  Love's  habit,  ever  since 
Love  came  to  live  in  this  world,  to  dance  with 
happy  and  forgetful  foot  over  volcanoes  ready 
to  engulf  him  in  their  fires,  beneath  clouds 
ready  to  drown  him  with  their  pouring  sor- 
rows. No  matter  what  the  dangers,  when  the 
maid  lures  and  the  man  pursues,  Love  knows 
only  his  own  delight.  So  went  Lucy  and 
Curtis  up  the  beautiful  canyon  road,  thrilling 
with  the  happiness  that  can  be  but  once,  - 
before  the  first  kiss  has  brushed  away  the  ex- 
quisite bloom  of  love,  —  forgetting  alike  the 
bonds  they  had  put  upon  themselves  and  the 
dangers  that  lurked  in  the  threatening  storm. 

At  last  the  darkening  atmosphere  caused 
Conrad  to  notice  how  high  the  clouds  had 
risen.  "  I  'm  afraid  there  's  going  to  be  a  bad 
storm,  Miss  Bancroft,"  he  said,  "  and  perhaps 
we  'd  better  turn  back.  When  we  started  I 
did  n't  think  it  would  rain  before  night,  but 
those  clouds  are  piling  up  fast  and  they  look 
as  if  they  meant  business.  I  'm  sorry,  for  a 
little  ways  above  here  there 's  a  beautiful  place, 
where  the  walls  of  the  canyon  spread  out  and 


THE  HEAVENS  OPEN  401 

you  get  a  splendid  view.  I  wanted  to  take 
you  there,  and  tell  you  —  "  It  was  not  so 
easy  after  all,  to  loose  the  torrents  of  speech, 
and  for  a  bare  instant  he  hesitated.  It  was 
enough  to  give  Lucy  her  chance. 

She  shot  at  him  a  single  sparkling  glance, 
and  broke  in  with,  "  Oh,  I  '11  race  you  there !  " 
As  she  spoke  she  touched  her  horse  and  darted 
ahead,  leaving  him  alone  in  the  middle  of  the 
road  at  the  very  beginning  of  his  declaration. 
The  wind  blew  her  curls  into  a  tangled  frame 
for  her  laughing  face  as  she  looked  back 
over  her  shoulder.  He  quickly  spurred  Brown 
Betty  forward,  but  she  had  got  so  much  the 
start  that  it  was  some  moments  before  he 
was  again  at  her  side. 

"  You  took  me  by  surprise,"  he  said  as 
they  slowed  their  horses  at  the  foot  of  a 
steeper  incline,  "  and  handicapped  me,  or  you 
would  n't  have  got  so  far  away.  When  we 
go  back  I  '11  race  you  all  the  way  down  the 
canyon,  if  you  like." 

"  Agreed !  "  she  laughed.  "  Would  n't  it  be 
jolly  to  go  at  a  gallop  all  the  way  down  the 
canyon,  from  the  mountains  to  Golden?  But 
the  poor  horses !  " 

"  I  think  we  'd  better  turn  back,  Miss  Ban- 
croft. I  don't  like  the  look  of  those  clouds. 

26 


402        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

It 's  going  to  be  a  regular  deluge,  I  'm  afraid. 
But  first,  I  want  to  tell  you  —  " 

"  Oh,  my  hat !  I  Ve  dropped  it !  "  she  ex- 
claimed. Curtis  leaned  over  easily,  picked  it 
up,  and  hung  it  on  his  own  pommel.  Her 
eyes  were  twinkling  and  the  dimples  were 
playing  hide-and-seek  with  a  wilful  little  smile 
that  hovered  around  her  mouth.  "  So  awk- 
ward of  me,"  she  said  apologetically,  "  and 
how  readily  you  picked  it  up !  I  wish  I  could 
do  that !  Do  you  know,  Mr.  Conrad,  you  've 
never  given  me  those  lessons  in  the  cowboy's 
art,  roping  and  riding  and  all  that,  you  prom- 
ised ever  so  long  ago." 

:'  We  '11  begin  them  whenever  you  say  the 
word.  After  I  tell  you  — ' 

"  About  that  beautiful  place  ?  Oh,  yes ! 
Can't  we  go  that  far  ?  I  'd  love  to  see  it !  " 
She  was  bounding  ahead  again,  but  he  was 
quickly  beside  her.  A  quizzical  look  was  on 
his  face  and  a  touch  of  mastery  in  his  man- 
ner as  he  leaned  toward  her  and  rested  his 
hand  upon  her  horse's  neck. 

"  Now,  if  you  try  to  run  away  again,"  he 
said  banteringly,  "  it 's  you  who  will  have  the 
handicap !  "  She  gathered  up  her  bridle  and 
with  a  touch  of  her  quirt  wheeled  her  horse 
half  way  around  and  away  from  his  detaining 


THE  HEAVENS  OPEN  403 

hand.  The  whim  had  seized  her  to  start  fly- 
ing back  down  the  road,  "  just  a  little  way," 
she  thought,  "  just  to  tease  him."  But  as  she 
turned  she  met  a  glowing  look  that  checked 
her  impulse. 

"Lucy!"  he  was  saying,  and  his  voice 
lingered  over  her  name  like  a  soft  and  warm 
caress,  "  Lucy!  I  love  you.  Will  you  be  my 
wife?" 

It  had  come,  the  question  she  had  meant 
not  to  let  him  ask,  and  at  once  it  sobered  her 
spirits  and  brought  back  the  remembrance  of 
what  she  must  tell  him.  Her  head  drooped 
until  her  brown  curls  half  hid  her  crimsoning 
face,  and  her  voice  was  low  and  troubled. 
"  Indeed,  Mr.  Conrad,  I  can  never  be  any 
man's  wife.  My  father  needs  me.  I  shall 
never  marry,  and  I  shall  stay  with  him  as 
long  as  he  lives." 

"  I  know  how  devoted  you  are  to  your 
father,  Lucy  — "  he  stopped,  and  repeated 
her  name  as  if  he  loved  the  sound  of  it  — 
"  Lucy,  and  it  is  so  sweet  and  beautiful  that 
it  makes  me  love  you  even  more.  Tell  me, 
Lucy,  do  you  love  me  ?  " 

The  question  took  her  unawares,  and  he  saw 
her  hand  tremble.  She  hesitated  for  a  mo- 
ment before  replying,  with  dignity :  "  I  have 


4o4        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

told  you  I  could  not  marry  you.  Is  n't  that 
enough  ? "  Unconsciously  they  had  again 
headed  their  horses  toward  the  mountains  and 
were  walking  slowly  up  the  canyon. 

"  No,  Lucy;  it  is  n't  enough !  "  he  exclaimed 
eagerly.  "  Something  tells  me  that  perhaps 
you  do  care  a  little  for  me,  and  if  you  do  I 
want  to  know  it  —  I  must  know  it !  " 

"  I  shall  never  see  you  again  after  to-day. 
You  must  be  satisfied  with  that,"  she  replied, 
tossing  her  head  and  turning  her  face  away 
from  his  shining  and  pleading  eyes. 

"  How  can  I  be  satisfied  —  "  he  began,  and 
the  wind  blew  her  hair  as  she  turned  her 
head  away  and  showed  one  little  pink-tinted 
ear  nestling  among  the  curls.  His  gaze  de- 
voured it.  "  How  can  I,"  he  went  on,  "  when 
you  —  when  you  have  such  a  beautiful  ear !  " 

"  What  difference  does  it  make  when  we 
can  never  see  each  other  again  ?  "  Her  man- 
ner was  evasive  and  her  speech  hesitating, 
for  she  was  trying  hard  to  bring  herself  to 
the  point  of  telling  him  the  fateful  secret. 

"  All  the  difference  in  the  world !  Lucy, 
sweetheart !  Tell  me  if  you  care !"  He  leaned 
toward  her  and  took  her  wrist  in  his  hand. 

"  You  Ve  no  right  to  ask  that  question 
again !  I  shall  say  no  more  than  I  have  said 


"  IT    HAD    COME,    THIS    QUESTION    SHE    HAD    NOT    MEANT   TO    LET    HIM    ASK 


THE  HEAVENS  OPEN  405 

already."  She  made  an  effort  to  release  her 
arm,  but  he  would  not  relax  his  firm,  though 
gentle  and  caressing,  grasp. 

''  Lucy,  I  would  never  beg  for  a  woman's 
love,  nor  ask  her  to  try  to  care  for  me,  if  she 
did  n't  love  me,  of  herself.  But  when  the 
woman  I  love  with  all  my  heart  won't  deny 
that  she  loves  me,  then  I  must  hear  her  say 
in  her  own  sweet  voice  that  she  does.  Lucy, 
darling,  tell  me  that  you  love  me!  " 

She  was  trembling  from  head  to  foot,  but 
she  drew  herself  together  with  fresh  deter- 
mination and  held  her  head  up  proudly  as 
she  answered,  looking  straight  ahead :  "  I 
have  told  you  that  I  shall  never  marry,  and 
that  after  to-day  I  shall  never  see  you  again. 
That  must  be  enough,  for  I  shall  say  no 
more." 

He  let  go  her  wrist,  and  she  tapped  her 
horse  to  a  faster  pace.  She  was  thinking 
intently,  trying  to  frame  in  her  mind  the  best 
words  in  which  to  make  her  confession.  Sud- 
denly, over  the  top  of  a  steep  incline,  they 
came  upon  a  wide  and  splendid  view.  The 
sides  of  the  canyon  seemed  to  melt  and  flow 
back,  giving  far-ranging  sight  of  the  sombre 
purple  mountains  towering  toward  heaven  and 
of  the  hills  dwindling  down  into  the  plain. 


4o6        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

"  Lucy,"  he  exclaimed,  "  here  is  the  beauti- 
ful place  of  which  I  told  you.  I  wanted  to 
bring  you  here  to  tell  you  of  my  love,  because 
this  is  the  most  beautiful  spot  I  know.  Lucy, 
darling,  I  love  you  with  all  my  heart,  and 
if  you  cannot  deny  that  you  love  me,  then  it 
is  my  right,  the  right  of  my  love,  to  hear  you 
say  that  you  do.  Never  mind  about  not  leav- 
ing your  father  and  meaning  never  to  marry. 
We  '11  talk  about  that  afterward.  Won't  you 
tell  me  now  that  you  do  love  me?  " 

Her  eyes  dropped  from  the  high  and  wide 
horizon  to  her  horse's  mane.  She  tried  to  say, 
"  I  do  not  love  you,"  but  her  heart  rose  in 
rebellion  and  forbade  the  untruth.  She  opened 
her  lips,  but  no  sound  came  from  them.  Cur- 
tis bent  toward  her,  trying  to  take  her  hand, 
but  she  drew  it  away.  With  all  her  strength 
she  was  contending  for  her  determination 
against  both  him  and  the  traitor  within  her 
own  heart.  He  leaned  nearer,  pleading  in 
tones  that  were  half  loving  command  and  half 
loving  entreaty,  "  Lucy !  Lucy,  love !  Look 
up !  Let  me  see  your  eyes,  your  dear,  beauti- 
ful eyes ! " 

Lucy  clasped  her  hands  together  hard  and 
bowed  her  head.  He  was  bending  over  her, 
his  shoulder  touching  hers.  She  heard  his 


THE  HEAVENS  OPEN  407 

voice,  soft  and  rich  with  love,  whispering, 
"  Lucy,  darling!"  And  suddenly,  scarcely 
knowing  what  she  did,  she  lifted  her  head 
and  looked  into  his  eyes.  Instantly  his  arms 
were  about  her,  and  he  heard  her  murmur- 
ing, "  I  do  love  you!  Oh,  I  do  love  you!" 
He  bent  his  ardent  face  to  hers,  but  before 
their  lips  met  she  started  away,  freeing  her- 
self from  his  encircling  arms. 

"  Stop !  "  she  cried,  putting  out  a  forbidding 
hand,  as  she  moved  her  horse  away.  '  You 
have  made  me  tell  you,  against  my  will,  that 
I  love  you.  Now  you  must  listen 'while  I 
tell  you  who  I  am."  There  was  a  sugges- 
tion of  defiance  in  the  poise  of  her  head  and 
in  the  flashing  of  her  eyes  as  they  looked 
squarely  into  his. 

"  And  you  must  understand,"  she  went  on, 
"  that  after  I  tell  you  this  I  want  you  to 
forget  everything  that  has  passed  between  us 
this  afternoon,  just  as  I  shall  do.  For  I  am 
the  daughter  of  Sumner  L.  Delafield!*' 

In  an  instant  his  arms  were  about  her 
again.  "  Lucy,  dearest,  you  've  told  me  no 
news !  I  Ve  known  it  since  yesterday." 

She  struggled  to  free  herself.  "  But  my 
father  —  you  hate  him  —  you  —  you  wish  to 
kill  him  —  I  heard  what  you  said  to  him  that 


4o8        THE   DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

day  at  your  ranch,  last  Spring  —  and  after- 
ward I  happened  to  find  out  who  he  is." 

A  wave  of  crimson  deepened  the  color  of 
his  sunbrowned  face.  "  All  that  is  dead  and 
buried,"  he  said,  "  and  I  am  ashamed  of  it, 
now.  I  want  you  to  help  me  forget  that  I 
allowed  such  base  thoughts  to  master  me  so 
long.  I  'm  going  to  your  father  this  after- 
noon to  tell  him  that  I  have  forgiven  the  old 
debt,  and  everything  else,  and  to  ask  him  to 
forgive  me.  My  poor  little  girl!  I  never 
dreamed  your  dear  heart  was  being  worried 
by  that  affair!" 

She  let  him  fold  her  in  his  caress,  whisper- 
ing happily,  "  I  knew  all  the  time  you  would  n't 
do  it  —  I  knew  you  would  n't  hurt  daddy,  or 
anybody." 

A  loud  clap  of  thunder  rolled  and  echoed 
over  the  mountains,  and  a  splash  of  raindrops 
fell  on  their  faces.  Conrad  looked  at  the 
dense  black  clouds  and  at  the  gray  veil  drop- 
ping athwart  the  mountains,  and  turned  to 
Lucy  with  alarm  in  his  face.  "  We  must 
start  back  at  once  and  ride  down  that  canyon 
for  all  we  're  worth !  This  storm  is  going 
to  be  a  corker,  but  maybe  we  can  beat  the 
worst  of  it.  I  've  done  wrong  to  bring  you  so 
far  —  but  I  can't  regret  it  now,  sweetheart !  " 


THE  HEAVENS  OPEN  409 

They  started  at  a  gallop  down  the  long 
canyon  road.  The  patter  of  big  drops  that 
had  given  them  warning  quickly  increased  to 
a  steady,  beating  downpour  that  drenched 
them  to  the  skin.  An  almost  tangible  dark- 
ness was  sifting  through  the  atmosphere.  It 
filled  the  sky  overhead,  drifted  down  the 
ravine,  and  seemed  to  settle,  making  a  thick 
twilight  under  the  arching  trees.  Blinding 
zigzags  of  lightning  slashed  the  clouds  and 
played  through  the  middle  air,  and  a  terrific 
roar  and  boom  and  rattle  of  thunder  kept  up 
in  the  mountains  behind  them  and  echoed 
back  and  forth  between  the  walls  of  the 
gulch. 

The  creek  was  already  rising,  and  each  time 
they  had  to  cross  it  they  found  its  muddy 
torrent  swifter  and  higher.  The  road  was 
rocky,  and  in  many  places  had  been  made 
slippery  by  the  rain,  and  there  were  frequent 
steep  inclines  down  which  they  dared  not  go 
at  a  rapid  gait.  They  had  put  behind  them 
hardly  more  than  a  third  of  the  distance  when 
Conrad,  looking  backward,  saw  a  cloud  of 
inky  blackness  settle  and  drop  upon  the  earth. 
A  deep,  booming  sound  mingled  with  a  deafen- 
ing clap  of  thunder.  The  ground  trembled. 
The  horses  quivered  with  fright  and  darted 


4io        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

forward  at  a  faster  pace.  Lucy  saw  Curtis's 
face  blench  in  the  half  darkness. 

"What  is  it?"  she  asked,  glancing  back- 
ward anxiously. 

"  That  was  a  cloudburst,"  he  answered  in 
a  tone  that  thrilled  with  comprehension.  "  It 
struck  back  there,  just  this  side  of  our  beau- 
tiful spot,  and  a  mountain  of  water  will  soon 
come  tearing  down  behind  us.  We  've  got 
to  ride  like  the  wind !  Perhaps  we  can  make 
the  first  road  that  crosses  the  ravine,  and  you 
can  go  up  there  while  I  ride  on  and  warn  the 
town." 

"No!    I'll  ride  on  with  you." 

"  I  can't  let  you  do  that,"  was  his  swift 
reply.  "Are  you  frightened,  dearest?" 

"No,"  she  answered  in  a  steady  tone; 
"  I  'm  not  frightened  at  all.  And  I  'm  going 
to  ride  on  with  you.  It  would  be  easy  to  die 
with  you,  if  we  must  —  but  I  could  n't  live 
without  you,  now." 

He  bent  toward  her  and  touched  her  arm 
with  loving  reverence  as  they  galloped  on  at 
the  swiftest  speed  possible.  The  horses  needed 
neither  whip  nor  spur,  but  with  ears  laid  back 
and  necks  outstretched  were  fleeing  down  the 
dim  canyon  for  their  lives.  As  they  bounded 
up  a  low  bank,  where  the  road  crossed  the 


THE  HEAVENS  OPEN  411 

creek  bed  again,  Lucy's  horse  stumbled, 
slipped,  and  fell  with  his  forelegs  doubled 
under  him.  He  gave  a  scream  of  pain  and 
terror.  Lucy,  freeing  her  foot  from  the  stir- 
rup as  he  fell,  jumped  to  one  side.  Curtis 
checked  Brown  Betty,  leaned  over,  and 
grasped  the  girl  around  the  waist.  She 
helped  him  with  an  upward  spring,  and  as 
he  lifted  her  to  the  saddle  he  shifted  his  own 
seat  to  the  back,  and  they  galloped  on,  leav- 
ing the  crippled  horse  to  his  certain  fate. 

Behind  them  they  could  hear  the  booming, 
rattling  roar  of  the  avalanche  of  water  that 
was  sweeping  down  between  the  canyon  walls. 
And  presently,  piercing  through  even  its 
rumbling  tumult  and  the  crashing  thunder, 
they  heard  the  death  cry  of  the  horse  they 
had  left  behind,  and  knew  that  he  had  been 
engulfed  in  the  mountainous  wave  that  was 
rushing  toward  them  at  a  speed  they  could 
not  hope  to  equal.  Lucy  trembled  at  the 
sound  and  nestled  her  head  against  Conrad's 
shoulder. 

As  they  neared  the  first  road  cutting  across 
the  gulch  Curtis  lowered  his  head  to  Lucy's 
ear :  "  Sweetheart,  we  are  almost  at  the  first 
road  out.  I  can  put  you  off  and  you  can 
run  up  there  and  be  safe." 


4i2        THE  DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

"  No,"  she  whispered  back;  "  don't  stop  for 
an  instant.  Every  second  will  mean  many 
lives.  I  'm  going  with  you  to  whatever  end 
there  is,  and  I  'm  not  afraid." 

Brown  Betty's  flanks  were  steaming.  The 
froth  from  her  mouth  flecked  her  neck  and 
legs  and  body,  to  be  quickly  washed  off  by 
the  drenching  rain.  Behind  them  they  could 
hear,  coming  nearer  and  nearer,  the  fateful 
roar  of  the  rushing  waters.  The  canyon  walls 
opened  out,  and,  looming  vaguely  in  the  dim 
light,  they  could  see  the  first  houses  of  the 
town.  With  full  lungs  Conrad  shouted  at  the 
top  of  his  voice: 

"  Run !  A  cloudburst !  A  cloudburst  is 
coming !  Run  for  your  lives !  " 

They  dashed  on,  and  the  houses  became 
more  frequent.  There  were  lights  in  the  win- 
dows, though  it  was  little  past  mid-afternoon. 
Curtis,  shouting  his  warning  over  and  over, 
put  the  bridle  in  Lucy's  hands  and  drew  his 
revolver.  They  were  rushing  down  the 
main  street,  through  the  most  thickly  built 
portion  of  the  town.  Pointing  upward,  he 
added  the  noise  of  pistol  shots  to  his  clamor. 
Men  and  women  came  to  their  doors,  caught 
the  meaning  of  his  cries,  heard  the  roar 
of  the  coming  flood,  and  rushed  out  and 


THE  HEAVENS  OPEN  413 

up  the  side  streets,  shouting  warnings  as 
they  ran. 

"  My  father  —  the  bank  —  can  we  go  so 
far  ?  "  asked  Lucy  breathlessly. 

'  Yes  —  we  '11  call  him,"  Conrad  assured 
her,  glancing  back  over  his  shoulder.  Be- 
hind them  rose  a  din  of  shouts  and  yells  and 
screams  of  terror,  mingling  with  the  peals 
of  thunder  and  the  roar  of  the  waters.  The 
street  was  full  of  people  running  this  way  and 
that.  And  a  little  farther  back,  through  the 
dusky  light,  he  saw  a  brown,  foaming  wall 
of  water,  its  crest  topping  the  roofs  of  the 
houses,  its  front  a  mass  of  half-engulfed  trees 
and  houses  and  pieces  of  lumber  and  arms 
and  legs  and  bodies  of  men  and  animals  that 
boiled  up  from  its  foot,  tossed  and  whirled 
a  moment  on  its  breast,  and  sank  into  the 
flood. 

Curtis  ground  his  teeth  together.  They 
were  still  three  blocks  from  the  bank.  "We  '11 
never  make  it,"  he  thought;  "  but  we  '11  try !  " 
His  arm  gathered  Lucy  closer  to  his  breast, 
his  spur  touched  Brown  Betty's  heaving  flank, 
and  with  another  loud  shout  of  warning  and 
an  encouraging  cry  to  the  mare  they  darted 
on  with  a  fresh  burst  of  speed. 


CHAPTER   XXV 

FULFILMENT   OF   THE   LAW 

ELJISE  DENT  sank  back  upon  her  pil- 
lows as  Lucy  hurried  from  the  room, 
too  amazed  and  horrified  for  speech 
by  the  girl's  declaration  of  her  love  for  Cur- 
tis Conrad  and  her  determination  to  reveal 
to  him  her  father's  identity.  Ill  in  body,  dis- 
tracted in  mind  almost  to  the  point  of  irre- 
sponsibility, her  thoughts  tossed  about  and 
took  wild  shapes  in  her  fevered  brain.  The 
one  idea  looming  constantly  before  her  was 
that  Bancroft  was  in  deadly,  imminent  peril. 
Her  bitter  resentment  against  Conrad  and  the 
hate  and  anger  she  had  nursed  so  long  in 
secret  distorted  all  her  conception  of  his  char- 
acter. Now,  as  her  thoughts  pounded  back 
and  forth  through  her  dizzy,  aching  head,  he 
seemed  to  her  to  be  capable  of  any  monstrous 
deed.  He  would  learn  from  Lucy  the  secret 
of  her  father's  identity,  and  then  nothing 
would  prevent  him  from  rushing  forthwith  to 
get  his  fill  of  bloody  vengeance. 


FULFILMENT  OF  THE  LAW     415 

She  rose  and  staggered  to  the  window. 
Dark  clouds  were  overspreading  the  sky.  It 
would  rain  soon,  they  would  turn  back  from 
their  ride,  and  he  would  bring  her  home. 
Then  he  would  hasten  to  the  bank,  and  into 
Aleck's  room  —  and  she  covered  her  eyes  as 
if  to  conceal  what  her  mental  vision  insisted 
on  seeing.  If  Aleck  only  knew  that  Curtis 
had  learned  the  truth,  if  he  could  be  warned 
in  time,  he  might  conceal  himself  until  it 
would  be  possible  for  him  to  go  away.  Leave 
the  town  he  must,  and  go  far,  far  away,  where 
there  would  be  no  fear  of  discovery. 

She  alone  knew  his  danger.  But  could  she 
tell  him  that  she  was  aware  of  his  secret? 
She  shrank  from  making  him  suffer  that 
humiliation.  Furthermore,  could  she  do  it 
without  betraying  her  own  secret,  without 
laying  bare  the  love  that  burned  in  her  heart  ? 
Yet  —  what  mattered  the  rest  if  she  could 
save  his  life  and,  perhaps,  his  future?  She 
followed  with  her  eye  the  line  of  the  canyon. 
Where  were  they  now?  The  clouds  were 
black  and  lowering  and  a  gray  veil  of  rain 
hid  the  purple  of  the  distant  mountains  and 
spread  an  advancing  blur  over  their  slopes. 
If  she  was  to  save  Aleck  she  must  go  —  at 
once. 


416        THE   DELAFIELD  AFFAIR 

Her  loud  and  hurried  knocking  at  the  door 
of  Bancroft's  private  office  sent  to  his  heart 
the  quick  apprehension  to  which  he  had  be- 
come an  easy  prey.  He  sprang  to  his  feet 
with  his  hand  upon  the  revolver  that  of  late 
lay  always  ready  upon  his  desk.  Not  only  was 
it  a  relief  to  find  that  it  was  nobody  but 
Louise,  but  the  very  sight  of  her  was  so  wel- 
come and  so  easeful  to  his  overwrought  and 
desperate  mind  that  unconsciously  he  ad- 
dressed her  by  her  Christian  name.  Her  wild 
eyes  and  distraught  face  alarmed  him. 

"  Louise!  What  is  the  matter?  You  have 
come  in  all  this  rain?  How  wet  you  are! 
Has  anything  happened  ?  " 

"  No ;  not  now ;  not  yet !  Wait,  let  me 
get  my  breath  —  I  will  tell  you.  Aleck, 
how  pale  you  are!  Has  anything  happened 
to  you  ? "  In  their  excitement  neither  of 
them  noticed  that  she  also  used  his  Chris- 
tian name. 

"  No ;  nothing  has  happened  to  me  —  no 
more  than  usual.  I  am  in  deep  trouble, 
Louise." 

"  I  know,  I  know,"  she  cried,  coming  close 
to  him.  "  I  know  what  it  is  —  I  have  come 
to  warn  you.  Curtis  Conrad - 

"  What  about  him  ?  "  Bancroft  exclaimed, 


FULFILMENT  OF  THE  LAW     417 

starting  back.  "What  do  you  know  about 
him?" 

"  What  you  know,  Aleck  —  that  he  means 
to  kill  you.  He  is  coming  here  this  very 
afternoon  —  he  will  be  here  soon  —  he  will 
kill  you.  You  must  hide  from  him ! " 

He  drew  back  as  she  spoke,  and  then  turned 
sharply  upon  her.  "  Do  you  know  why  ?  Are 
you  another  who  knows  ?  " 

She  moved  a  step  aside  and  dropped  her 
gaze,  but  her  voice  was  tender  and  compas- 
sionate as  she  replied,  "  Yes,  Aleck ;  I  know." 

He  looked  at  her  with  astonished  eyes. 
;<  How  did  you  find  it  out?  How  long  have 
you  known  ?  " 

"  For  years,"  she  said  softly,  stretching  her 
hand  impulsively  toward  him.  "  Josephine 
told  me  when  she  died,  so  I  could  guard 
Lucy  against  all  knowledge  of  it.  I  have 
kept  it  as  secret  as  the  grave.  Nobody  has 
ever  had  from  me  any  suspicion  of  the  truth. 
It  has  made  no  difference  to  me,  Aleck!  I 
have  only  respected  you  the  more,  because  you 
could  begin  over  again  and  build  up  a  new 
name  and  a  new  life." 

He  took  her  hand.  It  was  wet  and  cold, 
and  he  folded  it  in  his,  and  as  she  went  on 

drew  her   closer  to   his   side.      He   felt  the 

27 


4i8         THE   DELAFIELD   AFFAIR 

soothing  comfort  of  her  words  and  manner, 
but  his  eyes  were  on  the  floor  as  he  muttered, 
"I  thought  nobody  knew;  I  thought  it  was 
hidden  so  well !  " 

The  room  had  grown  dark  and  darker. 
Outside,  the  rain  was  coming  down  in  gray 
sheets,  and  dazzling  flashes  of  lightning 
flooded  the  heavens.  Peal  upon  peal  of  thun- 
der smote  their  ears.  She  thought,  "  They 
are  at  home  by  this  time;  he  will  be  here 
soon."  Laying  her  other  hand  upon  Ban- 
croft's arm  she  hurried  on,  in  broken,  plead- 
ing speech :  "  Aleck,  you  must  not  stay  here ! 
You  must  hide  somewhere,  where  he  cannot 
find  you !  Conrad  —  I  came  to  warn  you  — 
he  knows,  by  this  time  —  who  you  are.  He 
will  be  here  soon." 

"  Conrad!   Does  he  know?  Are  you  sure?" 

'  Yes.  They  went  to  ride  up  the  canyon, 
he  and  Lucy.  She  said  she  was  going  to  tell 
him.  Aleck,  you  must  not  stay  here!  He 
may  come  any  minute !  " 

He  dropped  her  hand  and  started  back. 
"  Lucy !  "  he  cried,  and  again,  "  Lucy !  Does 
she  know,  too  ?  "  He  sank  into  his  chair  and 
buried  his  face  in  his  arms.  Louise  stood  be- 
side him,  her  hand  upon  his  shoulder,  her 
voice  soft  with  loving  compassion. 


FULFILMENT  OF  THE  LAW     419 

"  I  don't  know  how  she  knew,  nor  how 
long  she  has  known.  Until  this  afternoon  I 
had  no  idea  that  she,  or  any  one,  knew  any- 
thing about  it.  But  she  came  to  my  room 
and  told  me  that  she  was  going  to  ride  with 
him,  that  she  loved  him,  and  that  she  was 
going  to  tell  him  who  you  are." 

He  made  no.  answer;  but  she  guessed  by 
his  troubled  breathing  with  what  shame  and 
despair  he  was  struggling.  She  bent  over 
him,  her  arm  across  his  shoulder,  her  cheek 
upon  his  hair.  Above  the  pealing,  echoing 
thunder  and  the  rattling  boom  of  some  sound 
which  in  their  absorption  they  had  scarcely 
noted,  there  came  into  the  room  the  sudden 
din  of  cries  and  shouts  and  pistol  shots. 

"It's  Conrad!  He's  coming!"  cried 
Louise,  running  to  the  window,  her  excited 
mind  still  dominated  by  the  single  idea.  Ban- 
croft grasped  the  pistol.  Looking  back,  she 
saw  him  point  it  at  his  own  temple.  Spring- 
ing to  his  side,  she  seized  it  with  both  hands, 
crying  out,  "  Aleck,  don't  do  that !  Don't  give 
up !  Give  it  to  me !  " 

His  grasp  relaxed  and  she  took  the  weapon 
from  his  hand. 

"Aleck!  Bancroft!  Aleck!"  they  heard 
from  outside,  in  Conrad's  voice.  More  words 


420        THE   DELAFIELD   AFFAIR 

followed,  but  through  the  noise  of  the  shout- 
ing and  the  thunder  and  that  rattling  roar, 
now  grown  louder  and  nearer,  they  could 
distinguish  only,  "  your  life !  "  A  galloping 
horse  rushed  near  the  window,  there  was  a 
pistol  shot  without,  and  an  answering  shot 
from  within. 

A  shriek  pierced  the  clamor,  and  Bancroft 
cried,  "  That  was  Lucy's  voice !  "  By  a  flash 
of  lightning  which  rent  for  an  instant  the 
gray  darkness,  they  saw  the  horse  wheel  into 
the  hill  street,  and  saw  Lucy  in  Conrad's 
arms. 

The  pistol  dropped  from  Louise's  hand  as 
she  cried  out  in  a  passion  of  grief,  "  Oh, 
Aleck!  Our  little  girl!  Have  I  killed  her?  " 

He  leaned  toward  her  with  compassionate 
arms. 

Conrad  glanced  over  his  shoulder  as  he 
wheeled  his  mare  into  the  cross  street,  and 
saw  the  towering  wall  of  water  at  their  very 
heels.  Brown  Betty  was  staggering  under  her 
burden,  but  with  shout  and  spur  he  drove  her 
on  up  the  steep  incline.  A  grinding  crash 
mingled  with  the  roar  of  the  flood,  and  an- 
other backward  glance  let  him  see  the  bank 
building  toppling,  collapsing,  embosomed  in 
the  awful  avalanche  of  water.  A  great  wave 


FULFILMENT  OF  THE  LAW     421 

rushed  after  them  and  swept  Brown  Betty 
from  her  feet.  Had  the  mare  been  less  sturdy 
of  spirit  they  would  have  been  carried  back 
on  its  retreating  current.  But  Conrad's  per- 
suading, encouraging  calls  were  in  her  ears 
and  she  struck  out  bravely,  swimming  against 
the  force  of  the  waves  that  swirled  about  them 
and  buffeted  her  with  the  debris  they  carried. 
But  the  waters  that  spread  up  the  cross  street 
soon  lost  their  force,  and  she  regained  her 
footing.  Curtis  bent  over  Lucy,  saying,  "  We 
are  safe  now,  sweetheart !  "  Blood  was  drip- 
ping over  her  garments,  and  she  lay  white 
and  still  upon  his  arm. 

At  last  they  reached  the  door  of  the  Ban- 
croft home,  and  Curtis  carried  Lucy,  still  un- 
conscious, within,  and  went  in  search  of  Miss 
Dent.  But  the  house  was  deserted.  Alone, 
he  ministered  to  the  girl's  needs.  He  located 
the  injury,  and  found  that  a  bullet,  as  to  whose 
source  and  intention  he  made  his  own  secret 
guess,  had  pierced  her  arm,  but  had  left 
merely  a  flesh  wound.  Recovered  from  her 
swoon,  he  carried  her  up-stairs  and  left  her 
to  change  her  wet  clothing  while  he  went  in 
search  of  blankets.  Wrapped  in  these,  with 
her  arm  bandaged,  he  left  her  in  bed  while 
he  hastened  down  the  hill,  hoping  to  find  news 


422        THE   DELAFIELD   AFFAIR 

of  her  father  and  Miss  Dent  with  which  to 
relieve  her  anxiety. 

The  rain  had  ceased  and  the  flood  had 
passed,  leaving  in  its  wake  the  wreck  of  a 
ruined  town.  Where  the  bank  building  had 
stood  were  tottering  walls  and  a  shapeless 
heap  of  brick  and  timbers.  Beneath  the 
wreckage,  where  had  been  the  president's  of- 
fice, they  found  the  bodies  of  Bancroft  and 
Louise,  enfolded  in  each  other's  arms. 

The  sky  cleared  and  only  in  the  east  did 
some  low-lying  clouds,  still  wet  and  angry, 
give  any  hint  of  the  storm  which  had  swept 
over  the  town  and  left  desolation  in  its  track. 
As  Conrad  climbed  the  hill  to  tell  Lucy  of 
her  double  bereavement,  in  the  tenderest 
words  his  love  could  make  possible,  he  faced 
the  glories  of  a  setting  sun  whose  resplen- 
dent pageant  filled  the  sky  and  touched  with 
its  glowing  colors  the  pitiful  devastation  of 
the  little  valley. 


THE   END 


DC  SOUTHERN  REGION, 


A     000110992     5 


Florence 


<jCel/is 


